Score draw may be best result in this Brexit mess

Saturday has, for as long as anyone can remember, been a day of sport in the UK.

The truth is that this issue has brought out the worst in the public

Yesterday was fairly typical. World Cup rugby in the morning, racing in the afternoon and football round the clock.

There was a new show in town, though: Boris Johnson v Oliver Letwin live from a packed House of Commons across all TV platforms, terrestrial and paid-for alike.

Originally designed as the undercard for the far more significant meaningful vote on Johnson’s Brexit deal, it became catapulted towards its eventual billing as the main event.

This happened for two reasons. First, on the realisation that the Letwin amendment could render the withdrawal vote – by the PM’s own admission – meaningless.

Second, when commentators started to twig by early yesterday that it had every chance of succeeding. By the time Letwin had the DUP on board, the game was up.

The preamble among the experts had been that, if carried, Letwin would require the PM to write requesting an extension to the October 31 withdrawal deadline.

This, though, is frontline politics in 2019. No sooner had the heads been counted and the Ayes carried, Johnson was on his pins say ing he’d do no such thing. No ex planation or justif ication. Perhaps it’s time the Commons introduced some kind of equivalent to VAR.

Outside, there was crowd trouble. But this was no laughing matter. Seeing Jacob Rees-Mogg being verbally abused with his 12-year-old son was a low moment for a Remain campaign which believes it holds the moral high ground.

The truth is that this issue has brought out the worst in the public. There is little point in trying to identify a hierarchy of blame – the debate has been hellish since the pre-referendum campaigning began and has deteriorated into a quagmire of identity-led, self-interested mud-slinging.

The Letwin amendment – like its linear precedent the Benn Act – was brought for a serious reason: to take No Deal off the table. It is right that it should happen. Having negotiated an outcome he’s happy with in Brussels, No Deal as a nuclear option now no longer has any meaningful purpose for the PM. It’s bad for Britain, bad for Europe and could do damage to working families.

Perhaps it’s time for the other extreme to come off the table too. A second referendum is too problematic to remain as a serious solution to the Brexit mess. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (or whatever Michael Gove is calling himself these days) had a point when he said very few people will realise their ideal Brexit outcome.

Thanks to Letwin and supporters, there’s a bit of time left on the clock. A score draw might be the best we can hope for.