I don't know how it was reported elsewhere but the BB might as well have been at a state funeral. They were all but playing solemn music as they reported on how comprehensively May's proposals were rejected.

The gap over Ulster is just too great, everything else can be finessed but Ireland requires a hard solution.

She did look kinda shell-shocked actually. After months of tough negotiations with Jacob Rees-Mogg to create a set of proposals that avoid destroying the Tory party, she seemed genuinely surprised that she wasn't being applauded to the rafters in Salzburg for her clever proposals. It's almost as if it never occured to her that the EU had a viewpoint that needed to be considered.

It's not long until the Tory party conference and, given this debacle, I'd be shocked if there weren't stand up fights in the auditorium, resignations and a, metaphorical or otherwise, stabbing or two backstage.

And there's already talk of a General Election being called.

keep to the Fen Causeway