To get a deal Boris needs to show (or fake) some humility

There were many Brexiteers who were urging Boris Johnson to travel to Washington before he went anywhere else, to underline that Britain’s most important relationship is with the United States. And if the EU felt nervous seeing the UK cosy up to America, so much the better. But the Prime Minister’s first visit was to Berlin, and then to Paris, to see if a Brexit deal can be negotiated and the needless disruption of a no-deal exit avoided. It seems, at present, a rather long shot.

Theresa May famously said little in one-to-one meetings with European leaders. Boris Johnson can be a lot more forthright, and should speak with candour about his own lack of room for manoeuvre. Even if he had been persuaded about the merits of the EU’s last offer (which, after all, he voted for in the end), it was rejected three times by parliament, and by historic margins. This is why a new deal is needed.

On one level, it seems strange — almost baffling — to think that a no-deal Brexit could be pushed through simply because politicians cannot swallow their pride. Leo Varadkar, in particular, has talked himself into a corner on the Irish backstop: to compromise now would be very difficult for him. But if there were a no-deal Brexit, Ireland would suffer. The mutual interdependence of our islands is such that 41 per cent of Ireland’s exports to the EU go through Britain: we have a common interest in minimising that disruption and in finding a compromise that puts people first and political games second.

The Brexiteers were naive to think such practical concerns would govern these negotiations. Look at German carmakers, ran the argument, look at that Dutch report saying a no-deal Brexit would mean a £30 billion hit to the economy of the Netherlands.