Has Boris conjured a Brexit breakthrough?

THE Gothic splendour of Thornton Manor, a Grade II listed pile built in the 19th century in exquisite English countryside, is a popular venue for lavish weddings.

Boris Johnson and Leo Varadkar met there yesterday for emergency talks to chart a way through the Brexit maze. Very few thought it would be a perfect union.

But after two hours of talks, including a heart to heart in the mansion’s manicured gardens, there was a glimmer of hope. Could the Prime Minister and his Irish counterpart have broken the agonising impasse?

In a joint statement, the pair revealed they could ‘see a pathway to a possible deal’.

As always, the devil will be in the detail. But on the face of it, this is the first bit of good news for ages on the UK’s torturous attempt to cast off the EU’s shackles.

Cautiously upbeat, it came at the end of a week scarred by acrimony.

On Tuesday, negotiations appeared close to collapse after German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned brusquely that the UK would not get a deal unless Northern Ireland stayed in a customs union in perpetuity – annexed by the EU. Mature diplomacy? Hardly. But maybe, just maybe, we have now pulled back from the abyss. Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay and EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier meet today.

No one wants a No Deal Brexit. That would cause everyone economic harm. So there must be compromise. Boris has made generous concessions. The EU must meet him halfway – and quickly. Time is ebbing.

If Britain can somehow arrange an orderly divorce, both sides might eventually live happily ever after.