A back up plan for Brexit

“In order to get a beneficial deal from the EU, May will have to relax her demands on Brussels, but her party members are an obstacle to this, notes researcher at the Centre for European Reform in London Beth Oppenheim. "The Conservative Party is divided, but supporters of the hardest Brexit are trying to ensure that May makes no compromises with the EU and that she continues to insist on the absolute sovereignty of Britain in the judicial, trade and economic spheres", said the expert. And she underlined that for such Conservatives as Rees-Mogg the scenario of the UK leaving the EU without achieving any sort of agreement seems preferable to any significant compromise with Brussels. Meanwhile, Oppenheim argues that if May really wants to keep the Irish border transparent, and to preserve economic ties with the EU, she will have to soften her negotiating position. For example, she said, it is not impossible that Britain will have to accept the indirect jurisdiction of the ECJ on its territory, and may yet concede on a UK-EU customs union, since the opposition Labour Party has come out in support of one.

One way or another, May will have announce her definitive position on Brexit as soon as possible. "Further delay will result in serious costs. The government must declare what it has decided, so that business and officials can start to prepare [for implementing tasks in the framework of Brexit - Ed]", concluded Oppenheim.”