Britain now has 24 hours to decide its Brexit position, decrees the EU. This comes after Dominic Raab, the Brexit secretary, who replaced David Davies after his resignation, spent a weekend in Brussels trying to iron out the details of the seemingly impossible Irish-border problem.

One problem is that the proposal for a temporary customs union between the U.K. and the EU, and a regulatory border, is not time limited. And there is no consensus on what the alternative, long-term solution should be.


Euroskeptic Tories have threatened to resign unless there’s a settled end date to the customs union; more problematic still, the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party appears uncooperative and is gearing up for a “probably inevitable” no-deal. Others, meanwhile, express extreme frustration at May’s apparent decision to “disengage” with the EU at this point.

Suggestion is the best form of criticism. But what are the suggestions? What can she do?

Perhaps May hopes that someone will come up with a miracle solution at tomorrow’s scheduled cabinet meeting. Until then, stuck between a rock and a hard place, and with the tide fast approach . . . No-deal is looking more likely than ever. As is the end of May.