Some Brexit realism?

WITH just six months to go until Britain leaves the EU – and the prospect of a hugely painful no-deal outcome looming ever larger – could it be that some realism is finally being injected into the negotiations?

Suddenly, the issue of the Irish border, presented for so long as a towering hurdle to a wider trade deal, is surmountable after all.

In a striking change from his usual intransigent tone, Michel Barnier now appears to agree with Theresa May that there could be a technological alternative to creating a hard frontier between North and South.

Instead of physical customs checks, goods could be tracked electronically, using barcodes on shipping containers under a ‘trusted trader’ arrangement.

Details remain sketchy and there are still serious questions over where the scheme would be operated from and who would be responsible for it.

But there is a definite hint of conciliation in the air and a sense that the tectonic plates of Brexit are beginning to shift.

Meanwhile, Mrs May took to the airwaves to deliver a defiant warning to critics within her party: It’s the Chequers deal or crashing out with no deal, which could pave the way for a disastrous Labour government.

In Salzburg tomorrow, she will deliver the same message to EU leaders, who have as much to fear from a no deal scenario as anyone. If Mr Barnier’s new spirit of co-operation is any indication, they will be very much in the mood to listen.