Backstop no more

It seems that the PM has realised that the backstop position for the Irish/NI border contained in the December agreement that she, DD, the DUP, Parliament already have agreed to, cannot agree it it.

So, either the PM, DD et al did not understand what they had agreed to, which is not the case, or that there is no other option that does not wreck the economy. She has ruled out a tade border between NI and Britain, but that's what the backstop means and always meant.

She will make a speech in NI today ruling it out, thus threatening the GFA and two decades of peace.

If this is the case, then it is up to UK to come up with an acceptable alternative solution, and we are now fast running out of time for that. Failure to come up with a solution acceptable to all parties means crashing out of the EU with no WA, no transition, and a rock hard border in Ireland.

Failure to replicate the SM, CU and VAT equivalence will result in a hard border. Sorting only two of the three will result in a hard border.

These are the choices. These were always the choices. Kicking them into the long grass does not solve them.