Reports firming that Johnson, under pressure of EU deadline, is doing a major climbdown on Brexit, to allow Northern Ireland to remain inside the Customs Union. What it means 1/ The No Deal bluster produced nothing. Zilch. Diddly Squat...
2/ Johnson and Cummings are genuinely terrified of the Benn Act forcing them into an extension of Article 50 - so they are preparing their own extension on the pretext of having to get this deal thru Parliament...
3/ Whether Johnson gets this deal thru Parliament or not (and I doubt it) ... he is taking a major step towards a United Ireland. Those of us who've supported that, on the basis of cross-community consent, should register that...
4/ If there is still no commitment to a level playing field with the EU single market, then a) I doubt the EU27 can sign the deal b) no Labour MP can back it. However...
5/ If the deal retains the possibility of Britain remaining aligned to the Single Market, I cannot see the ERG backing it either...
6/ Once the text is public, and the A50 extension agreed, there is no further need for Labour/SNP/PC/G to keep on the hook - the opposition needs to collapse the government with a VONC right after the Queen's Speech is defeated...
7/ Never mind if the dithering Tories and the Libdem don't want a Corbyn-led minority government. Let them live with the consequences of allowing Johnson to stay PM during the election...
8/ However the preferred route must still be an interim government. If there is a Johnson deal, that government could add a Kyle-Wilson amendment ITSELF, calling a referendum on Johnson's deal versus Remain...
9/ To reiterate: any Labour MP who walks thru the lobby with this racist liar, on the grounds of "any deal is better", needs to have the whip withdrawn and a new candidate selected immediately.
10/ Awaiting the text but, in summary, Johnson has retreated further than Theresa May and collapsed like a 6th form soufflé because - of his own making - he imploded his own party and lost control of Parliament. More later...
