Irish backstop

Not only did Northern Ireland vote to stay in the EU. Johnson himself backed the core principle behind the backstop when foreign secretary.

Barclay says EU doesn’t have a mandate for the “backstop” because there are new MEPs. Can somebody please tell him how the EU functions?

Foreign secretary’s plan is hopeless because it takes us to no-deal cliff edge, and cynical to blame EU rather than government he served in.

Geoffrey Cox is trying to apply a legal fix to a policy problem. The government has impaled itself on the contradictions of Brexit.

With PM delaying a confrontation with MPs on her deal this is now a failed Brexit.

A hard Brexit and the Good Friday Agreement are not compatible. No amount of parliamentary manoeuvring can hide that uncomfortable reality.

Despite risk of being held in contempt of Parliament, government-controlled “legal position” still suggests backstop may be indefinite.

Influential minister made false case against staying in bloc. But the risks he inaccurately flagged do apply to May’s deal he’s supporting.

First independent economic analysis of May’s deal by NIESR think tank shows GDP will be 4% lower by 2030. That’s £1,100 per person in UK.

Deal is bad for our power and our prosperity - and it’s going to get worse because the ‘backstop’ puts us in an awful negotiating position.

The 26-page outline agreed by May and EU is much worse than our current deal with EU. And it’s so vague we don’t know how bad it is yet.

Brexiters are blaming EU “bullies” for May’s miserable deal. That’s rich. Brexiters have been at the heart of this mess since day one.