Politicians are still not sure what Brexit means or whether they can make a success of it

It was only a year ago that ‘Brexit means Brexit, and we’re going to make a success of it’ seemed like a reasonably fresh phrase which could actually mean something. Now, we don’t hear so much about making a success of the thing as we do about getting through it in one piece, hopefully with Theresa May’s Cabinet agreeing on a few things along the way too. The Cabinet is slowly starting to realise that a little pragmatism on both sides wouldn’t hurt as the government burrows into the detailed negotiations with the European Union.

A bit of agreement on transitional periods, if not immigration, is handy, but this is just the Cabinet we’re talking about, not other EU countries. For instance, the Irish government has pronounced Theresa May’s solution for the Irish border as unworkable, which has in turn upset the DUP as the alternative proposal from Dublin would mean a sea border between Britain and Ireland.