ANALYSIS

BY Brussels standards European leaders yesterday took their decision to back the draft Brexit deal agreed between UK and EU negotiators at lightning speed.

The 27 premiers and presidents in the inner sanctum of the bloc’s Europa summit centre took just 38 minutes to rubber-stamp the 611 pages of the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration thrashed out over the last 18 months.

For once, there was no haggling into the early hours. The EU’s ruling elite appeared relieved to head away before lunch after having been dragged to the hastily-arranged gathering to informally conclude the talks.

Leaders trooped out from the Europa building unanimous that it is a final offer and no further concessions can be squeezed out if Theresa May tries to return to the negotiating table.

Whether their take-it-or-leaveit ultimatum holds remains to be seen. The Prime Minister appears to be dozens of MPs short of the Commons majority she needs to pass her deal in the “meaningful vote” she promised Parliament.

She is expected to return to Brussels for another EU Council on December 13 having seen the MACER HALL deal defeated in the vote. In that scenario, the 27 EU leaders will have to consider whether a no-deal Brexit, with potentially catastrophic implications for the eurozone’s stuttering economy, really is preferable to revisiting the Northern Ireland “backstop” details that are the biggest complaint of her Tory critics.

Mrs May’s allies insist there is plenty of persuasion of MPs on all sides of the house to come before the vote. And as the Prime Minister said yesterday, she expects that voters will voice frustration against the Parliamentary infighting that is preventing the tedious Brexit saga from reaching a conclusion.

But with opponents digging in yesterday, the Prime Minister’s hopes of a Commons majority looked optimistic. If she is forced back to Brussels by a defeat, EU leaders will face another decision that will take longer than 38 minutes to reach.