Yes, I think I’ve got it now …

Having watched several current affairs television programmes yesterday and read the newspaper websites overnight, and whilst I hold no brief for key political players involved – or indeed for any related policy involved, well beyond the fact that I am a firm supporter of the second Scottish independence referendum being demanded by Nicola Sturgeon, albeit with the slight additional twists that (1) the whole of the UK electorate should be allowed to take part, and (2) it should be made clear on the ballot paper that it is a strict condition of any “Yes” outcome that Scotland would never be allowed back into the UK whilst Mount Everest retains its title as the world’s tallest mountain – I think I can summarise the current Brexit position as follows:

We began the current end-game crisis with Boris Johnson – the second Tory Prime Minister in succession chosen by the Party rather than the electorate, having been hemmed in by the Leave-sceptic Parliament (aided by a Remain-supporting Speaker) passing the Benn Act designed to ensure that a no-deal Brexit was impossible – announcing that it was Leave by 31^st October, “do or die”.

Boris has now agreed a new Brexit deal – something that the majority in Parliament were convinced he was not the slightest bit interested in – with the EU.

And now (presumably) the intention of all concerned is that this weekend Parliament will vote upon it in one way or another.

The DUP, Jeremy Corbyn and Nigel Farage [“Who he?” you might ask, since he isn’t even an MP] have all publicly rejected the Boris Deal.

The DUP because apparently it leaves them looking the idiots they are, Corbyn because it was reached by the Labour hate-figure Boris rather than anyone else, and Farage because his Brexit Party wants a No Deal or bust.

It seems to me that we have now reached a situation where in essence Parliament has been put on the spot because – if it rejects the Boris Brexit deal – it will effectively be forced ‘out of the closet’ to stand before the UK electorate admitting that, contrary to all its hot air and fudges, it is de facto in favour of Remain and intent upon delivering it.

Which leaves it in the potentially dangerous position of gambling the future of the country upon a 50:50 roll of the dice in the form of a Second EU Referendum (if Parliament can somehow both gain a further extension of the current 31^st October deadline and pass the legislation required in order to arrange one) which will decide either whether we will either leave the EU upon the terms set out in the Boris Deal – or Remain in the EU.

Over to the dice [or should that be ‘die’, the singular version?] … or, alternatively, [if you believe in such things] to you, God …