The Atlantic

The Britain That Was Fades Into Memory

Theresa May can’t keep her promises about the virtues of Brexit.
Source: Stefan Rousseau / Reuters

On Wednesday, the British government began the formal process of exiting the European Union. In a speech to the House of Commons in London, Prime Minister Theresa May said that invoking Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty was a “historic moment, from which there can be no turning back” and “a great turning point in our national story.”

For once, May was right. Brexit does indeed mark a momentous point of no return for Britain. But the truth is that she cannot possible deliver on her 12-point list of for Brexit, which includes building a fairer society, spreading economic opportunity, and facilitating “a smooth, orderly” transition out of the EU. With fresh demands for a second independence referendum in Scotland and a fracturing peace process in Northern

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