“The longer this initial part of the Brexit process takes, the more likely it becomes that the UK will rethink the process entirely.
The present extension is unlikely to be long enough to fully organise a second referendum – a process that will likely take a minimum of 22 weeks – but it is certainly feasible that a confirmatory referendum might be the price parliament demands in exchange for acquiescing to the Withdrawal Agreement.
If the two largest parties cannot come to an agreement then there will be a series of indicative votes in Parliament.
May has stated that the Government will respect these, although they are unlikely to be binding. A soft Brexit or a second referendum is likely to ensue.
However, Theresa May’s time as premier is certainly coming to a close and is unlikely to last to 2020. It’s unclear how long she will cling on for.
The question of how Theresa May’s successor might act remains live – how can one ‘Boris proof’ things?”
