Thread by @TomMcTague

The EU said:

1. There could be no unilateral exit mechanism for NI
—There now is

2. That NI should, legally, be EU customs territory
—No longer

In today’s culture war people will say black is white, but it does not make it so. Good or bad, this is a different deal

Thread 1/6

Soon, there will be a boring debate about whether this deal proves either the EU’s might—or Boris Johnson’s.

Truth is both have made concessions. *That’s what politics is about*: the resolution of disputes without recourse to violence 2/6

People will claim the EU, in its unbending, unending wisdom and might has not made any concessions, because it never does because it is right (as if this was a good thing).

That the EU recognised it had overstepped, that UK had a point on consent/customs, is to its *credit* 3/6

An unresponsive, monolithic wanna-state would *not* have recognised the political reality of the situation and moved.

It’s bizarre for remainers and pro-Europeans to dismiss a real good thing (flexibility) in favour of a fictional bad (no concessions to the Brexiteers!) 4/6

It’s equally true that the EU has:
☑️Succeeded in protecting the open border in Ireland
☑️Remained united
☑️Showed small states they have considerable power through pooled sovereignty
☑️Stuck to its red lines on cherry picking 5/6

Despite the concessions, tough choices now remain for MPs. DUP has already so: No.

It’s a rocky road ahead 6/6