Six very simple and incontrovertible facts about the Northern Ireland Protocol (NIP), which anyone debating this topic should familiarise themselves with: 1. The EU has a right to exist and countries have a right to belong to it, even if we’ve exercised our right to not belong to it. You don’t have to like the EU to accept that these twin statements are true.

I don’t want to sound self-important but I’m about to make a point that I feel is woefully overlooked.

A short thread:

1/5

Given we’ve left the EU and the prospect of rejoining is (rightly) not on the horizon, I agree with Keir Starmer’s general strategy of making it work. 2/5

But what is ‘it’?

For Starmer, it’s Brexit. He wants to “make Brexit work”.

This terminological approach is wrong. It’s crucial we recognise this and change it.

‘Brexit’ wasn’t used much during the referendum; it snowballed only since and is a Vote Leave government term.

1/4

It’s the relentlessness of small grievances that gets to you sometimes, isn’t it?

Take today, for example.

I’ve taken the tube up to Bounds Green to drop my daughter off at a two-and-a-half-hour long birthday.

Sounds great, right? I can buy the Guardian and sit in a cafe. 2/4

But the only newsagent I could find, an independent one, wouldn’t take a card payment for my £3.50 purchase.

I politely argued the case for a cashless Covid world but, as he pointed out, he’d make about 10p but would be charged 40p for the transaction.

“Any ATMs?” I asked.

1/4 I don't warm to Jeremy Corbyn and can think of a dozen MPs who'd make better Labour leaders. But he's not the menace the right-wing press makes out, and if you think he's as bad as Johnson - particularly if you're left-leaning and anti-Brexit - you're deranged. 2/4 You KNOW what will happen if Johnson gets a majority. We'll be finished as a serious, compassionate country. You know it, I know it. Don't withhold your vote in constituencies where Labour has the best shot like Sanders supporters did with Clinton. It's madness.

@syrpis 1/ Very interesting thread, Phil. You make a persuasive case about the allure of a general election as a way to avoid confronting difficult decisions. These two tweets are where I'm doubtful, though, for a number of reasons. @syrpis 2/ The first is that I'm not convinced the EU would allow an extension unless one of the outcomes of whatever were proposed - in this case a general election - could lead to something that would be in the EU's interest (so no Brexit, a ratified WA or [possibly] new red lines).

1/7 The UK is filled with millions of decent people who voted leave or voted remain or didn't vote but have all united behind the idea that we must do Brexit because that's what the majority chose in 2016. 2/7 This would be an honourable position if: a) three years hadn't passed, during which time no one can find a version of Brexit that the majority of voters want; b) public opinion hadn't changed; and c) this were just about Brexit.

1/ Here's a multi-part prediction. 2/ We'll take part in the European parliamentary elections on 23rd May but turnout will only be a bit higher than usual.