Boris Johnson will struggle to sell his last-gasp Brexit deal to MPs

BORIS JOHNSON was in ebullient mood when he spoke to the press in Brussels on the evening of October 17th, even talking eagerly of his dinner plans. But his main goal was to persuade those watching, especially in Westminster, that he had secured what he called “a great deal for our country and for the EU”. He has less than 48 hours to win over MPs, who are due to vote on the agreement on October 19th, in a rare Saturday sitting.

The prime minister’s achievement is noteworthy, since many critics said he was bound to fail. He forced the European Union to reopen the withdrawal agreement it made with his predecessor, Theresa May. He struck a deal with Leo Varadkar, the Irish taoiseach, by talking to him in person. And he successfully ignored advice that the European Council would never endorse a last-minute deal by getting his fellow EU leaders to back an agreement reached only hours before their meeting. He even persuaded them to express hopes that the deal would be ratified in time for Brexit to happen on October 31st, a target he has repeatedly promised to hit, “do or die”.