Sheryl Mcintosh's Blog: European Can-Kicking Championships

If, as reported, Selmayr's cunning plan is to lure May into a 21-month (sic) delay to our leaving date, he really is going for the can-kicking title in a big way.** He probably knows his girl - they all do, after her craven capitulation on Hinkley Point in the summer of '16. A no-lose for him: either he frightens the ERG into the lobbies for the 'deal' currently on the table, or sets up a protracted and surely lethal period of utter UK political meltdown, which has been the aim of his malice all along.

Overall, the hyper-ventilation in every corner of the Westminster bubble (if you see what I mean) is neither more nor less than you'd expect at the eleventh hour. I wonder if any Cabinet ministers really have the balls to resign before the 29th? The Tories, after all, are still the party of government - who want to cast themselves into the darkness when there is potentially a new leader within months? Amber Rudd, though, may be a special case: (a) her seat is anything but safe, so it's desperation stakes with her; and (b) Kev has a theory she's part of May's own "cunning plan" (see BTL at the weekend).

Over the months, several of you have punted for the can-kick being part of the March 2019 'end-game'. I'm guessing that 21 months is a bit more creative than anyone had in mind. Technical question: can May and Selmayr (Sell-May-er?) deliver the delay themselves, bilaterally, by fiat on either side? If they can, it makes it all the more likely.

ND (a name, not a slogan)
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** we had earlier awarded this to Merkel for her 85-year effort on climate change