Wishful thinking from the Treasury’s ultra-Remain former Perm Sec? Or is he onto something?

1/2 A reason for cautious optimism. What HMG has said and what it has done on EU negotiations are very different.

— Nick Macpherson (@nickmacpherson2) January 23, 2018

2/2 We will end up more integrated with EU than Brexiteers hope and Remainers fear. #freetrade

— Nick Macpherson (@nickmacpherson2) January 23, 2018

We have seen briefings before from the Treasury that May is going to end up closer to Hammond’s vision of the end state than Boris’ and Gove’s, so it’s worth taking this with a pinch of salt. But the Remainers’ optimism explains the increasing concerns of Cabinet Brexiters that we are not going to pursue a Brexit that makes the most of leaving…