Playtime

I'm not sure the future of this country should be 'gamed'. I'm afraid that Johnson, Gove, Rees-Mogg and Cummings are all too pleased with themselves this morning. There are three possible routes forward, and they 'win' most of them.

1: Mr Johnson loses an early vote of no confidence, and calls an election after Brexit. Serious trouble follows on the streets of our major cities.

2: Opposition to a "no deal" Brexit stumbles and blithers on through the courts and Parliament, whilst Mr Johnson points to a Euro summit on October 17th. It, as Mr Johnson guesses, offers no new terms, and Mr Johnson's police force only has to contain trouble on the streets of our major cities for two weeks, and he's home and dry.

3. There's serious trouble on the streets of our major cities anyway.

Whoever 'gamed' John Humphrys' Today programme interview with Mr Rees-Mogg this morning was naive. Half the allotted time was taken with trying to find some constitutional issue with what has happened, as if The Queen had an option. The Moggster was at his most unctuous and patronising level of snidey, but surely can't have believed his luck.