{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/9a03fe9e-1ff0-4dcc-b3f6-50bd1f016ea4/19cde485-79be-42cc-8768-70087f5167e4?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Back to Brussels","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/6195701f2eacc3a36070252a/619570bccb3c660012e3d28b.jpg?height=200","description":"<p>An extra episode as David and Helen try to work out where we've&nbsp;got to with Brexit after this week's votes in the Commons.&nbsp;Can Tory&nbsp;unity hold?&nbsp;Can EU unity hold?&nbsp;Something's got to give - but what?&nbsp;&nbsp;And when?</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Talking Points:</strong></p><p><br></p><p>Is there a contradiction in offering to renegotiate the backstop?</p><ul><li>If a no deal means a hard border <em>and</em> economic chaos, then maybe there is a good argument for reopening the backstop?</li><li>If you’re sitting in Dublin right now, you might be nervous because the chance that Britain leaves without a deal seems higher than it was.</li><li>Would the other EU states abandon Ireland? </li></ul><p><br></p><p>The big loser of the week was the second referendum. There does not seem to be stomach in parliament for stopping Brexit.</p><ul><li>The massive tactical problem that May now faces is that Feb. 14 is way too soon</li><li>An extension of Article 50? For what purpose? 60% of the UK electorate sees extending Article 50 as stopping Brexit.</li><li>Does this mean that events are leading toward either a deal or no deal Brexit?</li><li>A general election seems like the logical way out.</li><li>But both Labour and the Tories would have a lot of problems in a general election.</li></ul><p><br></p><p>There could be some common group between the ERG position and the EU position if all parties could be 100% confident that the backstop would not materialize.</p><ul><li>But it is also possible that we are totally trapped.</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Mentioned in this Episode:</strong></p><ul><li><a href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/31/italy-slips-into-recession-for-third-time-in-a-decade-economy\" target=\"_blank\">New numbers on the EU economy</a></li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Further Learning:</strong></p><ul><li><a href=\"https://www.ft.com/content/9d550602-24a0-11e9-b329-c7e6ceb5ffdf\" target=\"_blank\">The FT on Germany’s current position</a></li><li><a href=\"https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2019/138-what-now\" target=\"_blank\">Our recap of Theresa May’s crushing Commons defeat</a></li><li><a href=\"https://www.ft.com/content/8960c5fe-2555-11e9-b329-c7e6ceb5ffdf\" target=\"_blank\">Can May get her deal over the line?</a></li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: </strong><a href=\"http://lrb.co.uk/talking\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>lrb.co.uk/talking</strong></a></p>","author_name":"David Runciman and Catherine Carr"}