#Brexit showdown averted - for now

Those hoping for a bit of clarity on Brexit will have to wait another week or so. British PM Theresa May and her government managed at the last-minute to buy off Europhile rebels in parliament by promising further talks to give lawmakers more control over Britain's departure from the EU, write Mark John and Mike Dolan.

While some in the pro-EU camp - and financial markets - have so far interpreted this as making a “no deal” Brexit less likely, they have at this stage little more to go on than verbal promises by May. She will now come under massive pressure from Eurosceptics in her party not to make any real concessions.

Let’s not forget too that there is another player in all this - the EU-27 bunch of remaining members of the bloc who are becoming increasingly exasperated with the Westminster in-fighting.

The voting in parliament continues, but a showdown over Britain’s future membership of a customs union with the bloc has already been averted with some compromise language. Right now the real fight remains about how much control a largely Europhile parliament will ultimately exert on Brexit - and that will take place in phone calls, emails and corridors.

If you want examples of successful compromise and deal-making in Europe, look no further than the Balkans. After decades of dispute, Greece and Macedonia have finally reached an accord over the former Yugoslav republic's name, with the formula "the Republic of Northern Macedonia". That opens the way for the country's eventual membership of the European Union and NATO, and comes bang on time ahead of EU and NATO summits in coming weeks.

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