May did well on Andrew Marr. She was assured and forthright about her ambitions. Of course, like all politicians, on the details she was either opaque or she waffled. The phrases about governing for all the people are the emotional cry of every new Prime Minister since Pitt the Younger. But she did convey the impression that she had a handle on everything and she knew where she was going. This was in the nick of time as people were beginning to wonder about her government ‘without policies’ as Ken Clarke had said (except for Grammar Schools).
We have learned a lot about Brexit, more than she actually intended. There is to be a Great Repeal Bill, in the Queen’s Speech, date not set, and Article 50 will be triggered before the end of March. The Repeal Act as it will become, if passed by both Houses and possibly with input from the Scottish and Welsh Assemblies for complex legal reasons as yet unclear, will transfer the sovereign authority for all European law enshrined in our own, from Brussels to London. It can then be modified where and when needed by parliament. This is all good sense and practical; the May touch. It sends a signal around the world and to every corner of the Kingdom that Brexit will happen and that is that. There will be places where this will be greeted with glee, but elsewhere with consternation.
We also learned about two May red lines. She is quite clear the the majority of the British people have voted to take back control of our borders enabling us to restrict the influx of EU migrants. She was also satisfied they have voted too for absolute control of our laws by our parliament. There is just no way it will be politically possible for the EU to grant free access to the common market on those terms. Even if in some late night marathon of half demented negotiators suffering sleep deprivation agreed, it would never be ratified by all 27 of the member states and only one has to say no to kill the deal. So although it is not official, it will be a hard Brexit. May has prepared the ground by saying she preferred the term Clean Brexit.
There are two events which could change this. The first is, through a scheduled series of national elections in the EU in 2017, a kind of EU Spring political movement, anti Brussels and admiring of the Brits, takes hold, and the whole byzantine structure begins to topple. Or, since there is no majority in Parliament for Brexit, let alone a hard one, the Great Repeal Bill falls, May calls an election, loses it and is replaced by a government determined to scrap the whole thing. In other words having had fun the first time voting with their hearts, given a second chance the canny Brits vote with their heads. A returned UK would become instantly the most powerful country in a relieved and grateful EU and could inaugurate reforms of its choosing. Free movement et al.