The Eurozone’s economic slide continues with the latest manufacturing index figures showing the steepest contraction in manufacturing since June 2013. February’s PMI figures showed a fall to 49.3 (anything below 50 indicates contraction), the lowest level since June 2013, with new orders at their lowest since April 2013 and export orders at their lowest level in over six years. Germany’s performance was particularly poor on 47.6 – the wurst in 74 months…

The bottom line is that the EU increasingly cannot afford to have no deal. Eurocrats are panicking about legal chaos if the UK’s membership is extended beyond the European Parliament elections, the UK’s seats have already been allocated to other countries so the EU isn’t just braced for lawsuits from the UK, it may also have to face several from the likes of the German Vegetarians Party. The only thing still allowing the EU to stick to its intransigent position is the fact that UK Parliament is doing all their dirty work for them…