Even so, the Salzburg debacle was exceptionally ignominious for Mrs May, both politically and personally. In advance of the summit, Mrs May had sent cabinet ministers around European capitals in an effort to find allies. She presented her Chequers plan in a take-it-or-leave-it fashion that many in her audience found too aggressive. They pretend solidarity with Mrs May while privately crowing that a Chequers plan that they have always hated is now dead. Mrs May’s diplomatic debacle is also, and paradoxically, a source of some encouragement for those who want a soft Brexit or to stop Brexit.

Source: The Guardian September 23, 2018 06:59 UTC