Any hopes that the EU would, in the light of the Ukraine war, see us as an ally rather than a recalcitrant province, have evaporated. Eurocrats have gone home with everything they wanted. Mission accompli. So long, and thanks for all the fish.
Though for all his efforts to place his tanks on Tory lawns, the former editor of Socialist Alternatives still struggled to speak like a Conservative in several crucial areas.
Plus: The Chief Whip’s swift transformation from Francis Urquhart to Mr Bean. And: why I can’t bring myself to vote Tory in the local elections.
We must insist that an “in principle” agreement on trade be reached by the end of March 2018 – otherwise the EU will have us over a barrel.
The Prime Minister is not in a position to force policy about leaving the EU on her Cabinet colleagues – let alone the Brexit Secretary.
May needs to demonstrate that Whitehall is prepared – deal or no deal. Crossing one’s fingers and hoping for transition is not an alternative, or shouldn’t be.
Those who insist the Unionists can be bought off or pressured into backing down fundamentally misunderstand the situation.