In the Japanese tradition of ceramics, broken pottery is mended using lacquer mixed with powdered gold. The idea is to treat breakage and repair as part of the history of the object, turning the cracks into beautiful golden threads rather than something to disguise. For centuries, kintsugi (golden joinery) was such a celebrated art form that some collectors deliberately broke their pots so they could be put back together with precious metal seams. It could be a metaphor for the Tory party, which seems intent, yet again, on highlighting its fissures over Europe.

Roy Jenkins compared Tony Blair to a man carrying a precious Ming vase over a slippery floor as he prepared to face the electorate in 1997. Theresa May was similarly cautious ahead