A time for wisdom and true courage

BREXIT is far from a done deal. The negotiating teams in Brussels have come up with a draft text that Theresa May’s cabinet can discuss but it is by no means clear that even if the PM’s top ministers endorse it that it will get through the Commons.

Mrs May’s minority government is dependent on DUP support and the Northern Ireland party will not back anything which could be portrayed as potentially extending Dublin’s influence into the province.

Meanwhile, few arch-Brexiteers who loathed her Chequers proposals are likely to be won over by the latest blueprint.

Pro-EU champions of a second referendum are determined not to let the momentum for a “people’s vote” slip away, and Labour strategists will be war-gaming the best way to bring about a general election.

But Mrs May will hope that the terror of a no-deal Brexit will be sufficient to persuade a majority of MPs across the House to back a deal which offers the possibility of stability.

Just today, a report from the Public Accounts Committee warns of a shortage of vets leading to delays at ports in post-Brexit Britain and flags up concerns about smuggling and threats to food safety.

She will hope that MPs who are not enamoured with her deal will nevertheless back it, persuaded it represents the best way of preserving their constituents’ livelihoods.

In Wales we are fully aware of the danger posed by a botched Brexit deal. The risks to Airbus and our automotive sector have been laid out in grisly detail, and our agricultural exporters have explained why obstacles to trade could be devastating.

MPs will require courage and cool heads in the days ahead when they will choose whether to follow instructions from party whips or pursue their different visions for the country. This is the proverbial “crunch” time when supporters of different outcomes have to think hard about how they can make their goals a reality.

The mechanics of getting any deal through the Commons and the European Parliament will be stretching but independently minded MPs will resist efforts to herd them into voting lobbies. It is hard to articulate just how much is at stake – and just how much Wales has to lose.

The debate divides the country but we wish all MPs wisdom and clarity at this critical time.