It’s time Mrs May looked for Plan B

The Prime Minister has demanded that the EU show a little respect, and so it should. The treatment of Theresa May in Salzburg this week was appalling; she was due a proper explanation as to why they oppose the Chequers plan, not a string of insults. Mrs May’s change in tone should have come sooner: giving a Churchillian speech at the summit itself would have had more impact. Nevertheless, no one can deny the drama and force of the statement she delivered at No 10. It is good to feel that the Prime Minister has reasserted her dignity and authority.

That said, it is one thing to give a solid speech that demands a response. The question is, what will Britain do when it gets the almost inevitable answer: “Non”?

Mrs May’s formula is completely unchanged: it’s Chequers or no deal. But the UK Government has not prepared for no deal in a meaningful way – which includes tax cuts and infrastructure roll-out – and the case for Chequers is less obvious than she seems to think. In fact, the EU has long said that it cannot accept Britain having access to the Customs Union while remaining free to out-compete its European rivals. And here in the UK, Brexiteers have also warned that Chequers limits our ability to sign free-trade deals, while consigning us to being rule-takers, not rule-makers. There was a reason why, shortly after Chequers was imposed on the Cabinet, the two most important Brexit ministers resigned. It has been apparent from the off that Chequers simply won’t fly – not just for Donald Tusk, but for Conservative MPS, too.

Now comes the real moment of truth. On Monday, Mrs May will chair a Cabinet meeting that is scheduled to discuss immigration, but is likely to debate Chequers itself. She must not repeat the mistake she made before and present the meeting with a fait accompli:

“My way or no way.” This time she must listen to her ministers, their concerns and their suggestions. What must emerge from this meeting is a consensus around not Chequers or a no-deal outcome (although preparations for the latter must be made), but a whole new Plan B.

It’s looking necessary. Even if the EU does come around to the Chequers plan, it’s going to insist on so many caveats that it makes a mockery of the original deal and leaves Britain signed up to agreements that limit its ability to compete internationally. So the Prime Minister has to be ready with an alternative proposal.

The Brexiteers have been shuffling towards a Canada-plus trading relationship and have tried to provide answers for what one does about Northern Ireland, which remains the most difficult issue. Mrs May said in her own broadcast that she wants to maintain the “frictionless trade in goods”. Well, that’s what Brexiteers want, too; the Prime Minister should talk to them about it. There is strong leadership and then there is stubbornness, and in this instance a respectful conversation between parliamentary friends would not only help party unity but also advance the search for a future trading relationship between the EU and the UK that will actually work.

We cannot stress how important it is that

Mrs May get this right. This weekend the Labour conference begins in Liverpool – a party now riddled with Marxists and militants, with a cloud of anti-semitism hanging over it. Labour isn’t quite as ahead in the polls as it once was, but it remains worryingly within striking distance – and if Mrs May fails in the Brexit talks, one can imagine the scenarios under which Mr Corbyn gains momentum. If that happens it would be catastrophic for Britain and for the continent. If Emmanuel Macron and Mr Tusk think Brexit is a disaster, let them try a socialist UK.

These are the stakes. Brexit has to proceed fully and smoothly not just for the health of the Tory party, which would be a rather parochial concern, but for the good of the country and Europe itself. Mrs May has demanded a new atmosphere in the talks: the country hopes she gets it. But she also has to show humility and recognise the reasons why so many people have rejected Chequers.

If Mrs May fails in the Brexit talks, one can imagine the scenarios under which Mr Corbyn gains momentum