Brian Wilson: Risk of no-deal Brexit means UK must live with imperfect deal

Michael Goves attempt at oratory during the Brexit debate just didnt cut it (Picture: AFP/Getty)

I was in London this week and thought events in the House of Commons justified a rare return visit to witness the free entertainment at first hand.

It was disappointing fare. Drama requires a modicum of suspense and, no matter how many breathless commentators tried to exude excitement, there was little sense of the unexpected.

Predictably, Mrs May’s deal was voted down. Predictably, she was going nowhere. Predictably, Mr Corbyn’s vote of no confidence was a damp squib. Predictably, the Government is still there.

There were no persuasive leaders, no feats of oratory – though Gove tried desperately, he just doesn’t cut it – no acts of statesmanship, no turkeys voting for Christmas ... nothing really. The main change since last week is that we are a week closer to the precipice.

It may have occurred to even the thickest Labour, Lib Dem or Nationalist MP while marching through the same division lobby as the hardest, no-deal Brexiteers that both lots cannot be right about the ultimate outcome. Place your bets.

Boris Johnson claims it would be '˜shameful' to delay Brexit

The 29 March deadline is artificial, created by the Prime Minister when she triggered the withdrawal process. The argument then was that it would concentrate minds but there is little sign of any such mature focus.

That gives the advantage to Mrs May for whom prevarication is now a powerful weapon. The next few weeks may see some great shift but then again, they probably won’t. So what next?

The only sure way of excluding “no deal” is to negotiate urgently to finesse the deal that both government and EU can live with. That is the realpolitik. Why waste more time waiting for that “no” lobby to divide into its irreconcilable objectives, as the precipice draws nearer?