Like many important things in life – flossing, planning for retirement, buying the right mattress – keeping up to date with all the latest Brexit news can be a bit on the boring side.
But fear not, HuffPost UK is about to bring you fully up to speed with everything you need to know, hopefully in a way that won’t confuse, dismay or send you into a Westminster-induced coma.
OK, hit me
Well let’s begin with the man making most of the headlines right now, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The PM is adamant that the UK will leave the EU on 31 October, and even has a tweet saying so pinned to the top of his Twitter profile to prove it.
That seems pretty final
It certainly does, but Johnson has a slight issue – earlier this month a law was passed that made it illegal for the PM to take us out of the EU without a deal.
The so-called Benn Act requires him to request a further extension to the Article 50 withdrawal process if he cannot get a new agreement by October 19.
On the face of it he only has one option – get a deal with the EU. But as you may remember, his predecessor Theresa May couldn’t manage this in three years, so just how Johnson expects to do this in a matter of weeks isn’t exactly clear right now.
Adding to his apparent woes, EU leaders in Brussels (the people he has to do a deal with), are still awaiting UK proposals for resolving the issue of the Northern Ireland backstop which has hobbled negotiations so far.
Key elements of Johnson’s secret Brexit plans have been shown to EU officials, but not handed over amid fears they will be leaked.
So what’s he going to do?
Johnson has repeatedly said he will abide by the law, but has also insisted the UK will leave the EU on October 31, come what may.
This apparent disconnect has MPs worried he is going to push through a no-deal Brexit regardless.
But won’t this break the law?
Yes, but there may be a way around it. In a speech last week, former prime minister Sir John Major said Johnson could use “political chicanery” and act “in flagrant defiance of parliament”.
Major said a legal mechanism called an Order of Council could be used to suspend the law prohibiting a no-deal Brexit until after October 31, by which time it would be redundant as the UK would have already left the EU.
He said doing so would be something “that no-one should ever forgive or forget.”
And let’s not forget, it’s already been proven Johnson is not above dabbling in a little political chicanery – last week the Supreme Court ruled that he had acted unlawfully when he prorogued parliament.
That’s a bit sneaky
It certainly would be but some MPs are taking action, which brings us to the other players in this Brexit saga. Let’s start with Lib Dem leader, Jo Swinson.
Oh, the Lib Dems – I remember them
Yes, the Lib Dems have been a bit quiet in recent years on account of losing most of their MPs in an absolute drubbing in the 2015 general election.
But the party has been revived after six MPs defected to join their ranks - possibly due to the fact they’re the only party which has said it outright opposes Brexit.
Swinson has taken the lead in efforts to stop a no-deal Brexit and on Monday opposition talks in Westminster were reported to be centring on her plan to force the PM to go to Brussels to seek another Brexit delay as early as this weekend.
Ian Blackford, the SNP leader at Westminster, signalled his support for the Lib Dem plan this week, saying he would back any measure which prevented Johnson bypassing the Benn Act.
If the plan comes to fruition there could be remarkable scenes as Tory MPs and ministers would be forced to abandon their party conference in Manchester and dash back to Westminster.
But Johnson could, in theory, get around this by asking one of his fellow EU leaders to veto an extension in order to ensure the October 31 deadline was preserved.
What about Jeremy Corbyn?
Jeremy Corbyn has finally come out with a definitive opinion on Brexit. Only joking, he’s done nothing of the sort.
During Labour’s annual conference last week, the party decided not to decide at all about Brexit and is now set to enter the next general election without a clear commitment to remain in the EU.
After a heated debate in Brighton, delegates voted to support Jeremy Corbyn’s plan to delay a decision until after a Labour government has negotiated a new ‘soft Brexit’ deal with Brussels.
Under Corbyn’s plan, a special party conference will be held to pick a side before a new referendum is staged.
Even on Swinson’s plan to stop a no-deal, Labour was utterly non-committal, with a source telling PA Media: “We are looking at all mechanisms and additional legal safeguards to block no-deal and ensure the PM complies with the Benn Act.”
So the Lib Dems are the opposition now?
When it comes to Brexit, arguably yes. In fact, the latest YouGov poll has them neck-and-neck with Labour.
Are there any other options for the opposition?
Yes. A senior SNP MP said the opposition parties could stage a vote of no-confidence in the government as early as next week. This would mean Johnson would be replaced with a caretaker leader who would secure an extension to the Brexit deadline.
But in true 2019-style, no one can quite decide who this would be.
Corbyn has said that, as the leader of the biggest opposition party in the Commons, he should have first crack at forming an administration – a position broadly supported by the SNP.
Swinson however, is adamant that she would not be prepared to put the Labour leader in No 10.
Her view is shared by many of the rebel Tory MPs who lost the whip after rebelling over Brexit and whose votes would be needed if the plan was to succeed.
Some MPs have suggested that a more consensual figure such as Ken Clarke or Dame Margaret Beckett could stand a better chance of uniting the parties.
What happens next then?
Fuck knows ... But this guy might have the answer: