Global Affairs

Brexit: How to have one's cake and eat it too

Despite Prime Minister Theresa May's hopes, it is likely that the British Parliament won't be able to agree on terms for Brexit. This leaves the future of the UK in the hands of the Europeans.

New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

LONDON • Plenty of experts have been willing to predict the damage that will be inflicted on Britain once the country leaves the European Union (EU). But few - if any of these same experts - ever factored into their predictions the sheer mayhem and confusion unleashed by this event.

After three years of painstaking diplomatic negotiations and with just 12 working days left before Britain is scheduled to cease being an EU member state, no treaties have been ratified, little legislation has been put in place and literally nothing is known about the procedures or the conditions that will govern Brexit, as the process of Britain's separation from the EU is popularly called.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 11, 2019, with the headline Brexit: How to have one's cake and eat it too. Subscribe