There are echoes of the challenge faced by Michael Collins when he returned to Dublin from London in December 1921 with the treaty which formalised the Irish Border. Collins’ ultimate argument was that the only alternative to the treaty was “immediate and terrible war” as threatened by Lloyd George. May’s argument is a variation on that theme, suggesting that the only alternative to Brexit is “immediate and terrible trade war” with the UK’s former EU partners. The big question now is whether May will be able to emulate Collins in bringing her cabinet and parliament with her. Collins paid with his life for the settlement but it endured and still underpins the democratic institutions we have to this day.

Source: The Irish Times November 15, 2018 06:45 UTC