What is really going on in politics? Get our daily email briefing straight to your inbox Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Boris Johnson this morning found out what it’s like to be Theresa May.



At 7am the DUP put out a statement saying they were still not able to back the Prime Minister’s Brexit plan.



“As things stand, we could not support what is being suggested on customs and consent issues, and there is a lack of clarity on VAT.



“We will continue to work with the Government to try and get a sensible deal that works for Northern Ireland and protects the economic and constitutional integrity of the United Kingdom,” Arlene Foster and Nigel Dodds said.



The first three words are the most important.

(Image: AFP/Getty Images)



It is still possible that Johnson can find a way of winning round (some may prefer to use the word ‘bribing’) the DUP in order to get an agreement signed off at today’s summit of EU leaders.



The Prime Minister knows that without the backing of the Unionists he will struggle to get the support of the Tory MPs in the European Research Group which means his chance of getting a deal through the Commons is close to zero.

There is something pathetically inevitable about watching a leader talk cavalierly about a no-deal then wake up to consequences of such an action before scrambling to secure any agreement regardless of its merit.



Brace yourself for another feverish day of briefings and counter briefings, phone calls and photo opportunities.



Boris Johnson yesterday likened the negotiations to scaling Everest .



In the next 48 hours he may find himself waving a flag on the summit or buried under an avalanche.

The DUP’s intervention, which has echoes of the way it scuppered May’s negotiations in December 2017, also derails Downing Street’s blame game strategy.



If Johnson failed to deliver a deal he wanted to pin the responsibility on those obstreperous and overbearing people in Brussels.



This is harder when the main obstacle blocking him from getting Brexit done is ten MPs you have paid £1billion for the privilege of having their support in Parliament.



Those who want a Brexit deal may also want to ask themselves why we have allowed the future of our country to be left in the hands of a party of bigots, charlatans and crackpots .

(Image: Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)

After 55 years as a Labour member Louise Ellman MP resigned from the party last night over Jeremy Corbyn’s failure to tackle anti-semitism.



“The Labour Party is no longer a safe place for Jews and Jeremy Corbyn must bear the responsibility for this.



“We cannot allow him to do to the country what he has done to the Labour Party,” she wrote in her resignation letter.



The leadership responded by repeating it continues to take “robust action” on anti-semitism.



Ms Ellman is the second Jewish MP after Luciana Berger who feels they can no longer stay in the party.



Alongside robust rules there also needs to be a change of culture and that can only come from the leadership.

Today's agenda:



9.30am - Liz Truss takes International Trade questions in the Commons.



10am - Women and Equalities questions.



10.30am (approx) - Fourth day of debate on the Queen’s Speech.



2pm - EU summit convenes in Brussels.



What I am reading:



Peter Hain defends the the Extinction Rebellion protests