No deal does not mean ‘never deal’ – the squabbling must come to an end

Editorial: The only positive thing that can be said about Boris Johnson’s latest missive regarding the Irish backstop is that it is well written. We know it will go unheeded, so what is there left for the European leaders to discuss?

What was missing from Johnson’s letter was an alternative to the backstop (AP)

The best that we can say about Boris Johnson’s letter to Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, is that it is well written. It sets out cogently the case for renegotiating Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement, without resorting to the populist sloganeering to which the prime minister is prone.

In brief, Mr Johnson’s letter says that the protocol on the Irish border, known as the backstop, is “unviable” – a careful word – because the UK parliament will not vote for it. This is true, and it is no use the EU side simply remaking the argument for the backstop. It is tempting to repeat the need for a guarantee of an open border. That argument is right and unanswerable, but it has no prospect of success.

So the question is: what is there for Mr Johnson and EU leaders to talk about?