ANALYSIS

AS BORIS Johnson jetted in to the Big Apple in the early hours yesterday he cautioned against a Brexit fairytale.

The Prime Minister played down hopes of a breakthrough, instead insisting that he was “cautiously optimistic” ahead of crunch talks with some of the EU’s major powerbrokers.

Behind the uncharacteristic lack of bombast, there were signs that Mr Johnson is in fact making significant progress in his quest to secure a deal to get Britain out of the EU on October 31.

He suggested his colleagues in Brussels are beginning to see a clear path ahead.

The PM also said he has been encouraged that some of them, notably European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, are seemingly willing to ditch the Northern Irish backstop if an alternative can be agreed.

Last night’s talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel again showed progress is being made and his meeting with EU President Donald Tusk was said to have been productive.

Mr Johnson is clearly very comfortable among the world’s elite. He has also appeared to have been able to shrug off the mounting turmoil back home, notably the Supreme Court case on whether his decision to suspend Parliament was illegal.

In fact, the trip to the city of his birth, accompanied by girlfriend Carrie Symonds, has provided him with the opportunity to show his status as a world leader.

High profile meetings today with Donald Trump – likely to be a back-slapping love-in – and a potentially explosive showdown with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani could cement his standing on the world stage.

But like his predecessor Theresa May, Mr Johnson’s Premiership will be judged not on his global status, but on his ability to deliver Brexit.