May probably knew she would get little from Europe. She appears to have got next to nothing. Her problem, indeed the UK’s problem, is that the EU’s institutions are working smoothly and coherently and all the 27 states are in agreement, whereas the UK’ structure of government is chaotic to the point of collapse and no faction in a bitterly divided parliament has a majority. So whatever plan comes forward whether it is May’s, Norway, Canada, Crash, none can command a majority in a deadlocked parliament so high on its own arguments that it lives in a dream world of its own. There was once a simple solution to such a crisis. Dissolve it.
Indeed the threat of that happening prevented the constitutional collapse now in progress occurring in past national challenges, or the ability to actually do it brought about change and renewal. But now parliament has the power to decide whether to dissolve itself, so that remedy is lost and mayhem, not May, rules. But she does have the eerie power of one who has absolutely nothing to lose, a power unusual in live politics, and she should now use it to follow the only credible path to extricate our country from international ridicule and self-harm. She should put her plan, plus Norway, Canada, Crash and any combination acceptable to the EU, to the House of Commons. Each will be defeated. She and Parliament will then have no choice but to put the issue to the people.
And that will be the end of Brexit.