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sablelab · 5 years ago

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Covert Operations - Chapter 112

SYNOPSIS: Dr Foster ponders that Madeline will be skeptical about what he would suggest was in the patients' best interests. Murtagh and Fergus get together to discuss what they have found out about accessing Jamie’s data. Sun Yee Lok talks with his daughter Ka-lin about his plans for the future. Meanwhile Madeline goes to Med Lab to talk with Dr Foster and to see Jamie and Claire for herself.

Chapter 111 and all other chapters can be found at … https://sablelab.tumblr.com/covertoperations

THANK YOU to those who commented on the last chapter. I love reading your views on what I have written. Just to clear a few things up for @lincoln59. Everything is classified in Section One and even the doctors are on a need to know basis. If Operations and Madeline have put a caveat on Jamie’s data then it is for a good reason which will later be explained. I would also like to give a shout out to @fickeepingtheshipafloat for your very kind endorsement of my story. THANK YOU one and all for reading, liking and reblogging.

Stay safe everyone and social distance.

CHAPTER 112

Hearing a quiet knock at the door, Operations and Madeline ceased their conversation and both turned to see who was there. When their chef, Christopher entered the room, Operations beckoned for him to come closer. “I hope everything was to your satisfaction,” he stated as he approached the table to remove their plates. “It was ... You surpassed yourself.” He nodded in appreciation. “Thank you.” “The meal was delicious Christopher.” “Thank you Madeline.” Pleased at her comment, he turned back towards Operations for further instructions. “Will that be all sir?” “Yes … you may go.” As Christopher departed Madeline looked at her watch. Their luncheon meal had gone on far longer than she’d realized. After her conversation earlier this morning with Dr Foster, she had arranged to go to the infirmary this afternoon to check on Jamie and Claire’s status and she was late. She needed to know what his prognosis was as to their immediate recovery for once she and Operations knew that, then they could move forward. Realising that it would take her a little while to make the journey to Medical Madeline knew that she must get a move on. “May I?” She asked eyeing the small pager on the bureau behind Operations with intentions to let Dr Foster know that she was on her way. However, before she could page through to Medical to enquire if they were prepared for her visit, the small speaker beeped quietly alerting Operations to an incoming message. Pushing back his chair he reached for the intercom but as he did so Dougal could feel Madeline’s eyes peer at him as he answered the call. “Yes?” “Sir, we're waiting for Madeline in Medical.” He turned to look at her before answering. Madeline nodded in reply to his silent query. “Thank you. She’ll be down shortly.” Preparing to leave the table, she turned towards the man sitting across from her announcing, “You’ll have to excuse me then Dougal. I have some unfinished business to attend to.” Standing up from the table he went to help his second in command from her seat. “Would you like me to come with you?” “No …. That won’t be necessary.” “Call me then if you want me to come down after you’ve spoken with Dr Foster.” “I will.” Walking to the door she continued speaking. “Thank you for lunch Dougal.” “It is always a pleasure having you dine with me in the Tower, Madeline,” he replied with satisfaction. “Yes well …” “Let me know your decision after seeing the two patients won’t you?” “I will. Once we know how Jamie and Claire are, we will be able to re-strategize.” “You always have your finger on the pulse and I’ll look forward to your plans for them and the continued success of the mission Madeline.” An enigmatic smile crossed her lips. “Of course,” was her veiled reply. Opening the door, Operations watched as she walked away until his head strategist disappeared out of sight. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* After speaking with Operations, Dr Foster disengaged the intercom button and composed his thoughts. He knew Madeline would be here soon and would want to know the details of Claire and Jamie’s medical history since their admission to Med-Lab. He would need to use this time before she arrived wisely to fine tune his report for her concerning his recommendations for their recovery. No doubt Madeline would go over his report with a fine-tooth comb to see that his words were backed up with the medical diagnosis about the two patients. That’s why he was more than thorough in what he wrote for her, for he knew that her visit would be probing and he needed to be prepared for her questions and queries. His eyes drifted over to the sleeping patient. Like James Fraser, Claire Beauchamp would be scrutinized as to her recovery. She had all the hallmarks of being tortured severely as too did Jamie. Yet, despite the harsh bruising and loss of conditioning, the signs were optimistic for a complete healing from her injuries. Dr Foster knew only too well that both operatives had the scars of resistance and their injuries were symptomatic of brute force being used to make them surrender. This no doubt would please the Section leaders, for even though their two best operatives had endured horrific pain and suffering they had not capitulated to the enemy. Operations and Madeline would surely want to know when their best two operatives would be fit for duty once more. However, he had a duty of care to see that they didn’t return to the field until they were both mentally and physically well enough. To send either of them back on the Rising Dragons’ mission was tantamount to ordering their cancellation if they were sent too soon. He would do everything to discourage those ideas. It was his job and that of the medical staff to see that both Jamie and Claire recovered fully and to get them back to their optimum strength and physical functioning. Still, to do that would take a little time and recuperation for the two operatives. He was concerned that Madeline and Operations would not see the necessity in taking the time for Jamie and Claire to rehabilitate to achieve the best results for the Section and ultimately the mission. Both of them would need to be in full health and 100% fit to undertake such an important mission again. However, if Section’s leaders did and time was allocated to the two patients then their job in Med-Lab would have been a success. Deep in thought, Jeremy Foster walked over to the viewing window to open the vertical blinds that gave him a clear vision into James Fraser’s room. He peered in at him. Like Claire the patient was asleep. He’d just finished doing his ops on Jamie and although his blood pressure was high the pain medication he was getting intravenously seemed to be working. No doubt Madeline would want to speak with Jamie when she arrived, so he thought it best to let him sleep. There was no need to awaken him until it was absolutely necessary. It was his opinion that Fraser may need more intense care to hasten his recuperation given his injuries. However, like Claire, he too had encouraging signs that recovery may not be as long as originally thought. First though, Jamie needed to pull through the operation. Madeline was already aware of the situation concerning him having spoken to the head surgeon. She was also aware of his blood situation, which at the moment was holding up okay. It had been touch and go for Jamie but he had positive signs in his favour for his recovery. His prior level of fitness before his torture would hold him in good stead and once his wound healed, it wouldn’t take Jamie too long to regain his fitness levels to the optimum. Jeremy Foster closed the blinds once more and returned to his desk. His thoughts turned to a plan of action for when Madeline arrived. Although both patients needed complete rest, he was aware that her friends Murtagh Fitzgibbons and Fergus Claudel had already paid Claire a visit. He had no doubts that the weapons’ expert would be paying Jamie a visit too later this evening after being told that the first 24 hours were critical for him. With staunch friends such as these, the physician had no qualms about their clandestine visits. They could only help in the patients’ healing. This however, may not the case for Section’s leaders. He was sure that Madeline would be sceptical about what he would suggest was in the patients’ best interests ... yet time would tell. He knew that Claire had many friends in Section One and none more so than her mentor and partner who was recovering in intensive care. It was well known that the two operatives had a special bond … a special friendship, if you could call it that, which Madeline and Operations would not approve of. However, it was a medical fact that if a patient had the support of loved ones then they recovered that much quicker. It seemed to give the patient a sense of purpose and was conducive to a better recuperation time. It worried him that Madeline may give a directive that Claire’s friends would not be given clearance to visit the patients or for patients to visit other patients within Med-Lab. Nevertheless, he would discourage that line of thinking if it arose in conversation. The relationship between active and functioning operatives was frowned upon in Section and especially so in Jamie and Claire’s case. Madeline could worry about the possibility that these two people might actually care about each other when they had both recovered. Their speedy recuperation depended on the two of them being able to support one another, to work through the trauma of their torture and help each other regain their sense of purpose. If Madeline and Operations had a problem with his medical advice they would prolong the recovery time it took for them to be at their best. On the contrary, Section’s leaders should be thankful that James Fraser and Claire Beauchamp were both still alive. He hoped that common sense would prevail and that Madeline herself would suggest some of the measures that he had in mind for their healing without him having to give his opinion. Section’s second in command could then worry about the possibility that these two people might actually care about each other when they had both recovered. Lost in thought he was not at all surprised to see the very person he was expecting standing alone in the open doorway a few moments later when he happened to glance up. “Dr Foster?” Before he could answer, his visitor entered the room and walked towards him. Madeline stood beside his desk, a slight grimace on her furrowed forehead. “I see that you’re expecting me. May I join you?”

Meanwhile in a non-surveillance area elsewhere in Section … “Okay amigo what did you find out?” Murtagh asked as soon as they walked away from Med-Lab. “Not here,” Fergus replied knowing that they were not out of hear sight of the surveillance equipment yet. The two friends quickly walked down a labyrinth of corridors and when they reached a non-surveillance area of Section One away from Med-Lab, Fergus stopped mid-step and looked at his friend. He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. He was tired … he’d been up half the night chasing up clues as to how to access Intel that supposedly didn’t exist. Any information about James Fraser was deeply hidden in the Section One database but he’d managed to find a way into the classified data. Nine times out of ten he would not have touched anything as sensitive as this for fear of being discovered and suffering the consequences. His head would be on the chopping block if Operations or Madeline found out he’d been snooping around. Normally he didn’t want to be caught up in the middle of things he'd rather not know about … but this was Jamie … His life may be on the line and if he could use his canny wiles to find the impossible to help his friend then he would do it. And he had done it. He’d found a way albeit through his crafty skills of unauthorized hacking. “I ran through a couple of programs and checked obscure channels trying to find a way into the classified Intel concerning Jamie's medical records.” “And what did you come up with? Did you find anything?” Murtagh asked inquisitively. Fergus looked over his glasses at his buddy with a twinkle in his eye extremely pleased with his efforts. “I think I may have found a way to access his file.” He was most pleased and it showed in the tone of his voice. “Good.” He was nearly salivating at what he was about to tell Murtagh. “I can't believe how easy it was to get into Section’s encrypted mainframe.” “Do you know where they keep the data?” “There is an unauthorised sector on the fifth floor.” “Level Five?” “Yeah … but it may be tricky … we’ll have to be careful.” “No problem … We can deal with it,” Murtagh replied full of adrenalin at the thought of doing something so clandestine as to access unauthorised regions in Section One. “There could be one other problem. It’s on a secure channel that can only be accessed by Operations or Madeline.” “Hmmm? ... That shouldn’t be a problem for you Fergus? Hey?” Murtagh grinned at his friend in admiration. “You can hack into anything … I’m sure this will be a piece of cake too.” “Yeah … but Operations would have me drawn and quartered if he found out … I’d be in abeyance before you could blink an eye … we both would." “Don’t worry so much little buddy. We'll be okay. We can do this. We need to do this. Dr Foster may need the data on Jamie. It’s better to be behind the eight ball rather than dragging our feet.” “What if he doesn’t want it after all? Perhaps we should wait and see if we need to give the data to him. Files are classified for a reason Murtagh, and if Operations and Madeline can only access it then it must be really significant.” “But what if he does need it? ” Murtagh could see that they were going around in circles deciding the benefits of what they were or weren’t about to do. He tried to convince Fergus by appealing to his logic. “We won’t need to give him anything unless it is absolutely necessary, but by saving precious time could mean the difference between life and death …. Remember this is Jamie we’re talking about.” “Yeah, I know but …” His older friend cut him off. “Not only that but, knowing this Intel may be an ace up our sleeves. We could use it as leverage with Operations. It could be to our advantage one day Fergus. It could be our ticket out of Section One.” Reluctantly he nodded in agreement. “We’ll have to wait though until the coast is clear.” Pragmatically Murtagh set about eliminating the risk of being caught. “We know that Madeline will be in Med-Lab for a while. She’ll want to speak about Jamie and Claire. That takes her out of the equation.” “Yeah, that’s all well and good but what about Operations? We don’t know where he is. He could very well catch us in the act.” Fergus stated still a little apprehensive. “Why don’t you go and check to see if he’s in the Perch.” “Okay.” “I’ll meet you at the head of the hallways bisecting the Common Area in ten minutes then. Watch your flank.” “Thanks.” The two friends each went their separate ways to ascertain Operations’ whereabouts until they would meet at the rendezvous time. At Sun Yee Lok’s residence… Sun Yee Lok looked up when he heard the door to his office open. The noise was closely followed by his daughter’s voice. “Father?” “Come in my dear.” Closing the door behind her Karen approached his desk, but her father rose and came to greet her. “Come … sit down,” he instructed, ushering her to the comfortable chairs in the alcove overlooking the balcony and garden. “I hope you are well rested after the festivities last night.” ‘Yes, I am … thank you father.” “Good.” “I trust your interviews went well with Jonathon and Wang?” Karen stated and judging by her father’s wry smile she had her answer. All went well. “Yes … they were very enlightening … they had only good things to say about you.” “Really?” “Yes … there is no need to be modest my dear; I am well pleased with your actions at the monastery. Very pleased in fact.” “Thank you father … I am honoured by your comments.” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Sun Yee Lok’s heart was bursting with pride. He looked over at his daughter ... he really looked at her and what he saw was a younger version of himself. It mattered not that she was a woman and that succession of the leadership would go to her … on the contrary Karen would be an excellent leader. Her father now saw her as his worthy successor when the time came, but for now he had one important project that would need her skills. She had more than earned his respect and he planned to give Karen the opportunity to grow and excel in the triad way. On all accounts she had been formidable in her dealings with the two co-conspirators … James Fraser and Claire Beauchamp. It appeared that he’d also been her greatest foe. He was the one who had killed Andy Ma, kidnapped and drugged her and placed her life in jeopardy. All this had been done to rescue the woman who was the thorn in the Rising Dragons’ side. Had Fraser survived he would have sought retribution for what he’d done to Karen. She had acted on her suspicions of Claire while her surveillance of her neighbour had proved fruitful. His daughter had masterminded the sting on Claire by befriending her realising that the woman was not all she appeared to be. This woman … this Claire Beauchamp … had undermined the Rising Dragons and her involvement could be traced back to the first incident of Tony Wong’s murder in Aberdeen, thus her death was a fitting end result. For that alone his daughter deserved kudos. Karen had proved her worth on other occasions too, but this time she had surpassed all of his expectations. Sun Yee Lok saw only a bright future for the Rising Dragons under her leadership. He had big plans for his daughter and saw no reason why she couldn’t begin her new role as soon as possible. He would start her accession development by giving Karen more responsibilities. He also knew the exact project that she could grit her teeth on … the triad’s expansion into Macau of a new casino in conjunction with Jonathon Randall.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ “You have done your father and the Rising Dragons proud. As a daughter you have surpassed anything I could have asked of you and more. I am delighted with your endeavours.” Karen nodded in acceptance of his admiration. Raising her head, she looked at him and smiled. “Is there anything you wish to ask of me father?” “Well as a matter of fact … there is.” “Name it and it is yours.” Back in Medical at Section One … “Good afternoon, Madeline.” Jeremy Foster looked at Section One’s doyen with a smile of greeting but Madeline barely returned his gesture. Her manner was reserved and reticent.

“How are the patients Dr Foster?” Knowing that she would want to know the answer to her question with explicit details, he sighed quietly and drew in a breath to calm his nerves before answering. “Both Jamie and Claire are holding their own at the moment. They are on hourly observations for any trauma anomalies.” “I see … Claire Beauchamp’s condition?” “She’ll be fine. We should see some improvement for her in the next seventy-two hours or so.” “That’s good. And Jamie?” “His prognosis is similar although his injuries are more pronounced than Claire. Jamie’s beating and torture appears to be far more brutal than hers. It will be at least another twenty-four hours before we'll have a clearer idea as to the success of the operation and we need to see how he reacts to the blood transfusions he’s been given. For that reason, Jamie will be in ICU for the next day or so where he can be monitored more closely.” Madeline looked at him but her expression held no compassion for either patient. She had her normal stoic demeanour and gave noting away as to what she might be thinking. “What can you tell me about their injuries?”

“Perhaps it is best if I show you Madeline,” he replied in a professional manner, drawing her attention to Claire’s medical chart displayed on the computer screen on his desk first. “Claire has multiple contusions to several parts of her body especially her ribcage, stomach and face which are symptomatic of the torture she suffered. She also has severe bruising to her upper torso, arms, legs and face. There was evidence of blood in her urinary tract so there could be some internal injuries as well but we’ll know for sure once we have the results of her pathology tests.” Madeline stood and listened to all that Dr Foster had to say. So far, all his data correlated with the characteristic symptoms of torture and mistreatment. Given that it was a couple of days before the retrieval team was able to rescue her, the doctor’s dissertation confirmed what they had seen on the tape as well. The triad’s interrogator had certainly been thorough in his methods. Dr Foster glanced over at Madeline, trying to determine her reaction to his statements about Claire’s condition, but her expression was aloof as usual. “She also has tissue damage inside her mouth, a cut lip and scratches to her face and cheeks but these are superficial and should heal in time.” He switched to Jamie’s medical chart and his data appeared on the monitor. Madeline moved a little closer and surveyed the chart and findings. “Can you explain what all these graphs are for?” “Certainly … they indicate Jamie’s blood pressure, heart rhythms and his oxygen levels over the last 24 hours. His pain medication is graphed separately. At the moment he is on morphine to dull the pain in his shoulder.” “How long will it be until he is up and about?” “It’s hard to say but if all goes well, I would think three days, perhaps more before he can get up from his bed. However, I need to warn you that there could be some complications.” Madeline knitted her brows in consternation. “What complications?” It was evident that there were to be no such things as complications for James Fraser according to Madeline, but Dr Foster needed for her to know just what could go wrong.

“Jamie could, I repeat could … have some paralysis in his shoulder, but this is yet to be determined. If he does then we will deal with it accordingly. One thing in his favour is that his fitness levels have always been excellent. He is a strong and fit young man and that's a huge plus, but he’ll still need some physio for his shoulder to regain its flexibility. Rest and rehabilitation are also crucial to get him back to peak condition and that could take at least a week.” “I see. You have been more than thorough Dr Foster. Is that all?” He hesitated before answering, knowing that Madeline would most likely not approve of what he was about to say next. “There is one other thing.” “Yes? What is it?” She asked giving him a penetrating look. “Although both Jamie and Claire’s injuries are severe, I have confidence that they will recover completely if given enough time to recuperate fully. Medical facts support that a speedier recovery is obtained if patients are rehabilitated with other patients who have suffered a similar ordeal. It is a known fact that this support is crucial in the patients’ overall mental and physical wellbeing. My report documents this in more detail. I have several suggestions …” “That won’t be necessary. I understand exactly what you’re saying Dr Foster,” was her acerbic reply. “Now … I would like to see the patients for myself.” “Yes … of course.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ to be continued on Friday 10th April.

I will post weekly during April until I have a few more chapters under my belt.

#Jamieandclairefanfic #jamieandclaireau #jamieandclairecrossover #covert operations #outlander fanfiction #outlanderfanfic #the lallybroch library #LFNoutlander

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vincentvelour · 7 years ago

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The State of Brexit Now: Baskets, Cherry Picking and Away Days

2/27/2018

By John Bostwick, Managing Editor, Radius

On January 26, three UK cabinet ministers published an open letter to UK businesses on the subject of the Brexit implementation period. This is the stage that will immediately follow Brexit, when the UK will still be subject to EU laws but will not (of course) be an EU member. The transition period is intended to allow businesses and UK and EU governments to put new agreements and processes in place to operate in accordance with to-be-determined regulations and trade agreements after Brexit. For example, the UK and remaining EU member states may have to invest considerable resources to handle a rise in customs checks.

The cabinet ministers’ open letter is a neat example of how, 20 months after the Brexit referendum and 10 months after triggering Article 50, there is much public reassurance from the UK government about Brexit, but few clear strategies articulated, let alone agreements signed. The open letter’s most important passage reads: “The [implementation] period’s duration will be strictly time-limited, and should be determined simply by how long it will take to make these changes — as the prime minister has previously set out, this will be around two years.”

It doesn’t take a roomful of literary theorists to recognize that the proposed period of “around” two years is hardly “strictly” defined, that there is nothing “simple” about determining how long it will take UK businesses and public services to put in place arrangements to operate in a post-Brexit economy, and that readers looking for an actual implementation-period end-date won’t find it in the letter.

Last Wednesday — less than a month after the open letter was published — the UK government released another Brexit document, this one in response to the European Commission’s (EC’s) February 8 position paper “Transitional Arrangements in the Withdrawal Agreement.” (The position paper puts established EU Brexit negotiating guidelines and directives into legal terms.)

The UK’s response to the paper is called “Draft Text for Discussion: Implementation Period.” The language concerning the implementation period’s end-date is nearly identical to the related language in the open letter, calling for “a period of around two years.” This vague period stands in contrast to the EC’s position paper, which firmly puts the implementation-period end-date at December 31, 2020. That date would coincide with the end of the EU’s current seven-year budget and make the implementation period 21 months long.

You may at this point be scratching your head and asking: “What’s the UK asking for? Isn’t the existing timeline of 21 months already ‘around two years’?” It is, of course, but the UK wants more wiggle room. Reuters says the UK’s Brexit secretary David Davis “told a parliamentary committee in January that ‘around two years’ meant between 21 and 27 months.” UK authorities insist they do want a firm end-date, but (per the UK draft text) only after discussions with the EU.

The UK’s draft text proposes other amendments to the EC’s position paper. For example, the UK wants a seat at the table at international fisheries negotiations during the implementation period. Before you dismiss this as a minor issue, consider that a recent Wall Street Journal editorial claims “the only thing everyone [in the UK] agrees must change is Britain’s fishing quotas.” And The Guardian states unequivocally that the fisheries-related request “will face resistance in Brussels.”

The draft text also calls for a joint UK-EU committee to be established to ensure “the proper functioning of the [implementation] period, including protecting the rights and interests of both parties.” The committee would be bolstered by “an article of good faith, applying to the Withdrawal Agreement in general.”

In other words, the UK wants to retain some ability to thwart new EU laws that may threaten it during the implementation period. Like the fisheries issue, this proposal will almost certainly face EU resistance. The Financial Times reports that one senior EU official who saw the draft text said of the joint committee proposal, “We cannot give [the UK] a veto right that EU member states do not have.” The Times adds that “according to senior diplomats, the EU side views the requests as politically and legally unacceptable and expects London to ‘back down.’”

Given that the Brexit referendum came about in part because of UK immigration issues, it’s worth mentioning that the draft text does not address that subject. Reuters notes that May and her government have indicated that EU citizens who arrive in the UK during the implementation period should have different expectations and different rights than those who arrived before. She told parliament, however, that those in the UK now should maintain their residency rights: “They’ve made a huge contribution to our country, that’s why we want them and their families to stay.” In any case, Reuters adds, the UK’s draft text “does little to highlight the areas where the two sides may disagree” on immigration.

The persistent uncertainty of the Brexit-negotiation situation may be partly May’s fault, but UK political realities offer few if any clear solutions. UK politicians and citizens remain divided about Brexit. Shortly before the draft text on the implementation period was released, for example, May received a letter — some call it a ransom note — signed by 62 “eurosceptic” MPs demanding “restrictions on any transitional terms that May agrees on.” The Irish Times points out that the authors of the note and other hard-Brexit supporters “have long feared that a transition period during which the UK continued to follow all EU rules could be extended indefinitely.” The Independent notes that any transition period at all is controversial to some, including “conservative Brexiteers, who say that it amounts to making Britain a ‘vassal state’ of the EU where it would follow EU rules without having any say over what they were.”

There are, moreover, economic as well as political pressures on May. The Guardian reports that an extension beyond the EU-preferred 21 months would tack on an additional 5 billion pounds to the agreed settlement of between 35 billion and 39 billion pounds. The UK’s European scrutiny committee indicates in a letter that “the longer the transition, the more the UK would have to contribute to EU spending commitments which it cannot block or influence once it ceases to be a member state.”

May is, in short, attempting to accommodate those within her own party that want a hard Brexit and those that want a softer Brexit, along with various UK committees, the electorate and business leaders who are pressuring her to give them “as much time as possible to prepare for Brexit.”

Needless to say, May’s political opponents aren’t sparing her either. According to the BBC, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called on May to “spell out clearly what kind of relationship she wanted with the EU, accusing her of ‘waffle and empty rhetoric.’” He’s quoted as saying, “Businesses need to know. People want to know. Even Tory backbenchers are demanding to know.”

He might have added that EU Brexit negotiators want to know. The Irish Times points out that Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte said EU negotiators need greater clarity around what May wants out of Brexit. ABC News reports that EU council president Donald Tusk and other EU leaders “have appealed for Britain to explain its vision of their future ties, but few details have emerged,” and that Tusk is “ramping up the pressure, saying he wants things made clear by the next EU summit on March 22-23, just a month away.”

Last Thursday, in a highly publicized event, May gathered her so-called Brexit “war cabinet.” The Washington Post explains that this subcommittee consists of 10 ministers “whose portfolios touch on Brexit issues but who represent both the hard and soft camps.” They met for eight hours at Chequers, the prime minister’s official rural estate. The purpose of the “away day” was to achieve some clarity from representatives of May’s divided Tory government in advance of a speech she’s scheduled to deliver this Friday summarizing her vision for a future EU-UK relationship.

The Financial Times says that the Chequers meeting will have done nothing to change May’s vision, which she set out in her Florence speech last September. May’s strategy is known as the “three baskets” approach. The first basket (or “bucket”) would include economic areas (e.g., car manufacturing and medicine) where the UK would adhere to EU laws; the second (e.g., financial services) where the UK would “have some flexibility to set its own rules;” and the third (e.g., self-driving cars and other new technology) where the UK would operate apart from EU regulations. Critically, May has not deviated publically from her stance that the UK will leave the EU customs union after Brexit.

May’s vision has been described as an attempt to avoid the all-or-nothing nature of EU membership by cherry picking. Tweet this

The Washington Post article mentioned captures the essence of EU membership, which is mostly an all-or-nothing proposition (though some non-EU countries, such as Norway and Canada, do have strictly limited trade agreements in place). The Post explains: “The single market guarantees free movement of goods, capital, services and people — the ‘four freedoms’ of the European Union — while the customs union provides for tariff-free trade among the 28 member states but requires that the bloc of 500 million consumers negotiates trade agreements abroad as one, rather than as individual European states doing bilateral deals.”

May’s vision has been described as an attempt to avoid the all-or-nothing nature of EU membership by cherry picking the attractive elements and discarding the unpleasant ones. This a la carte approach seems designed primarily to placate various UK factions, and EU officials have made clear that from their perspective it’s not a realistic bargaining position. After the Chequers meeting, The Financial Times quoted former EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson as saying that May’s cabinet “is not negotiating with itself. … It is negotiating with the EU and this plan will soon hit reality.”

Yesterday, Jeremy Corbyn added a significant element to the chaotic Brexit mix when he gave a speech that, Bloomberg says, “spelled trouble for Theresa May, and could lead to a rewrite of the UK’s Brexit policy.” In the 5,000-word speech, Corbyn said that his Labour party would seek to enter into a new UK-EU customs union “to ensure that there are no tariffs with Europe and to help avoid any need for a hard border in Northern Ireland.” He added, however, that the new agreement “would depend on Britain being able to negotiate agreement of new trade deals in our national interest.”

The Wall Street Journal reports that the European Commission “had no comment on Mr. Corbyn’s proposals,” but it seems a lock they’ll dismiss them as more UK cherry picking. Corbyn’s move is, perhaps, as much a UK political strategy as a Brexit negotiating strategy. The Bloomberg article points out that in his speech, “Corbyn left little doubt he sees [the customs union proposal] as an issue on which he can defeat the government, calling on lawmakers from all parties to break ranks to support Labour.”

For their part, European Union officials said last week that the EU will issue Brexit-negotiation guidelines for its chief negotiator Michel Barnier. And on Wednesday, the EC issued slides to the remaining EU member states concluding that the “UK views on regulatory issues in the future relationship including ‘three basket approach’ are not compatible with the principles in the [EC] guidelines.” The slides clarify that “preserving the integrity of the single market excludes sector-by-sector participation.”

In other words, the EU is setting the expectation that it will not brook UK cherry picking. The Financial Times points out that if the EU maintains this position, and May and her government— or, the Times might have added, Corbyn and the Labour party — maintain theirs, then “the only option available is a traditional, unvarnished free-trade agreement along the lines of the EU deals with Canada and South Korea.”

All of which means we’re essentially back to where we started immediately after the Brexit referendum about 600 days ago. There is little if any certainty around how the UK will detach itself from the EU, and what sort of regulations will be in place related to trade and immigration. At this point, we don’t even have a firm end-date for the implementation period. The only significant difference between then and now is that the March 2019 Brexit deadline is no longer comfortably remote. Businesses will of course be looking to May to articulate clear, realistic intentions in her speech this Friday.

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