By Rab Bruce’s Spider

At time of writing, I have no idea whether Boris Johnson has managed to agree a deal with the EU, but I must say I doubt he will be successful. Quite what he hopes to achieve in a few hours what years of negotiations have failed to agree, I cannot imagine. I suspect he sees himself as a grand statesman, and that he has visions of returning in triumph as if he were a reincarnation of his great hero, Churchill. Personally, even if he does come back with some sort of deal, I think it will be more like Neville Chamberlain waving a meaningless piece of paper and proclaiming it a great triumph.

But the reality is that whatever he does, Johnson cannot win. A bad deal – probably the only kind on offer – will see the Brexiteers in his Party annoyed at a capitulation, while No Deal (still the most likely scenario in my view) will result in economic and social disaster which people will soon realise is nothing like the sunlit uplands the Tory propaganda has been telling them it would be.

Johnson may well cling on to power for the remainder of his time in office, but he’ll be a lame duck, and the knives will be out for him when people at last realise what a disaster Brexit is. He cannot win, and I cannot find it within myself to have any sympathy for him.