1/ After the failure to pass the Withdrawal Agreement, I totally get the attraction now for moderates of supporting a rock star Brexiteer to inject a new dynamic into the process, to “deliver Brexit” and get us onto an election footing. A final big throw of the dice. But... 2/ ...I struggle to see how those who have helped fuel the betrayal narrative, indulged conspiracy theories & toxified the WA can now be the agents of compromise to deliver a negotiated outcome. I agree with @Dannythefink - this is not Nixon goes to China.

Interesting day in Brussels with @CommonsEUexit meeting M Selmayr, G Verhofstadt & others. A few thoughts as train delayed... Near zero appetite around Brussels for reopening Withdrawal Agreement. Support for Backstop and Irish Gov v solid. For EU, it's not just a question of Good Friday Agreement. Concerns over an open backdoor into single market.

For what it's worth, a few thoughts on the backstop and why we shouldn’t be tripping over ourselves to bin it. A thread: Peace in Northern Ireland is the biggest achievement in UK politics in last fifty years. The fruit of enormous effort and sacrifice. Successive UK governments have owned it, paying tribute along the way to the tough men and women who were big enough to compromise and do a deal.