Persistence may not pay off for premier

At last a Brexit deal has been agreed, meaning we can all move on.

Or perhaps not.

It appears what we have witnessed over the last couple of days may ultimately amount to little more than another extraordinary twist in a far longer, more painful saga.

Certainly any hopes that we are now entering the end game remain optimistic at best.

Some progress has been made but, as with so many aspects of Theresa May’s troubled premiership, it may be a case of one step forward, two steps back.

Her task has – from the outset – been unenviable. When David Cameron resigned (perhaps realising his government had woefully failed to prepare for an EU “Leave” vote) it was Mrs May who was left to pick up the poisoned chalice – and she had no option but to drink deep.

Uniting a country with a divided party was a nigh on impossible task and if the prime minister deserves credit for anything it is her quite mind-boggling levels of persistence.

Less determined characters would have folded by now. Yet Mrs May is far from out of the woods. Yesterday’s resignations and declarations of no confidence were predictable but nevertheless heap yet more pressure on the already beleaguered PM.

Getting to this stage has been difficult for Mrs May – making further progress may yet prove impossible.