Johnny Mercer was first out to bat for Team Boris on the Today Programme after Boris’ place in the final two was confirmed. Mercer made clear that Boris had a “watertight commitment” to leaving on 31^st October “come what may” and talked up the “fundamental” importance of respecting the Brexit vote. This is what Tory members will want to hear…

Mercer also made the underappreciated point that there have been plenty of times when the EU and numerous experts in the UK have declared something to be impossible, only for it to happen anyway. As Leo Varadkar pointed out yesterday, there are two sides in the negotiation, and many on the EU side are increasingly hostile to any further extension. Parliament can vote as many times as it likes, it can’t unilaterally prevent no deal in a two-sided negotiation. The only certainty the UK can have is to prepare full-out for no deal so the country is ready however the negotiations play out…