Thread by @BrunoBrussels

Why is the "penny dropping" on an all-Ireland backstop?
thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/b…

During talks last week, Frost discussed ways that a backstop could be “democratised” to ensure that Northern Ireland had a say in regulations that applied to it. Emphasis on “governance” of a backstop has reignited EU hopes of Northern Ireland-only solution.

As one official said: Getting rid of an anti-democratic backstop implies the problem is with governance rather than the alignment. That is noted

EU officials note that original Northern Ireland specific backstop, published in February 2018 is much more simplified text, of less than a dozen pages compared to the current protocol in withdrawal agreement which runs to 171 pages

“The original is very slimmed down and much less unwieldy to work with,” said a source
“There are possibilities to link extinguishing of elements, such as alignment on trade in industrial goods, to future alternative arrangements or future agreements on non-regression”

Both British and EU officials have suggested that Mr Johnson’s defeat on early elections mean that the next five weeks can be devoted to work on an alternative to the backstop and full negotiation, without the constraint of civil service purdah rules

“We would expect detail to begin coming after Johnson party conference speech in early October, in time for full blooded talks ahead of the EU summit,” said a source
Another source added: "September will be a political journey"