Office space

Last year, back in those wonderful days when May was PM and there were dozens of indicative votes per day in the Commons, the UK agreed that the EU could open an office in Belfast as there would be a regulatory border either between NI and Eire or in the Irish Sea. The UK even suggested the EU might like to open offices in Scotland and Wales too.

So far, so good.

Fast forward to 2020, and now Johnson is PM, the UK is reneging on this promise, apparently at the request of the DUP. Such an office was allowed under the terms of the withdrawal agreement.

This is a significant issue, as it is an early indication of whether Johnson is going to honour the agreement or not It does not look good.

This is a treaty under international law, and a country seen to be breaking the terms of such a treaty at the time it is expecting to want to agree up to 80 with other countries really isn't a good look.

It is possible that Johnson did not understand what he agreed to back in November when he claims to have got Brexit done. Maybe he never intended to honour it.

Either way, the result will be the same if course is not changed soon.

For the past decade Conservative policy has been dogma driven, irrespective of the human costs. Seeing Brexit in these terms then it kind of makes sense, but the cost to people, businesses and industry will be huge and cannot be reversed.

So, the right wing calls to open up the economy irrespective of the human cost, so we get to enjoy it for seven months before Brexit trashes it.