Non

Donald Tusk Tweeted his reply to Johnson's letter.

A paraphrase might be "nice letter, no content".

"The backstop is an insurance to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland unless and until an alternative is found. Those against the backstop and not proposing realistic alternatives in fact support reestablishing a border. Even if they do not admit it."

If its a blame game Johnson wants, he can have it.

Thing is, as I have said on many occasions, the backstop is a failsafe when all else fails. Had Johnson included something in his letter to stop that happening: fine.

But it din't.

Just more demands, and rejecting cooperation between NI and Eire which underpins the GFA.

The EU Commission added:

'Letter doesn't provide a legal operational solution to prevent return of a hard border. It does not set out what any alternative arrangements could be and recognises there's no guarantee such arrangements will be in place by end of transition." "It’s Brexit that creates unique difficulties for the island of Ireland... The backstop is the only means identified by both parties to honour this commitment [ of avoiding a hard border]."

This is setting the UK down the road of dissolving the very Union on which it was founded. For the leader of the Conservative and UNION Party, this seems a very dangerous path.

The conservative party can be about many things, but not opposites at the same time:

Be the party of business and of a no deal Brexit.

Be the part of the Union and of a no deal Brexit that will trigger independence referendums in NO and Scotland,. At least.

If the Conservative Party is more about no deal Brexit than Business and the Union, can it really survive?