Curious line in George Osborne’s Evening Standard editorial today:

“If we want to remain trading in the single market and customs union, then we will have to make annual financial contributions, accept free movement of people and acknowledge the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice. That is what Mrs May was sensibly shaping up to offer in Florence, until Mr Johnson suddenly realised it would run counter to all the promises he made a year ago.”

Was May really “shaping up” to accept free movement? Not sure Standard readers are getting the best Brexit analysis…

UPDATE: A government source says Osborne’s analysis is “completely delusional” and that there was never any chance of them accepting free movement or ECJ jurisdiction. Another embarrassing Standard cock-up…

UPDATE II: May’s former chief of staff Nick Timothy:

“Not even George can believe this. Evening Standard editorials will soon be shortlisted for the Booker Prize.”

In his Standard leader today George Osborne all but admits that he did make that infamous “chopped up in a bag in my freezer” comment about Theresa May. This evening’s editorial praises May on modern slavery, suggesting her critics should now refrain from OTT language about her:

“In the battles over Brexit, and over the future direction of the Conservative Party, some harsh words have been said about the Prime Minister. Her advisers created a poisonous atmosphere among senior Tories. But they are now gone, and a much more consensual team has recently replaced them in Downing Street. Mrs May’s critics in her party will want to respond in kind. We can reflect that strong differences of opinion do not need intemperate language, even when said in jest.”

So he did say it then. Think “sorry” is the word he’s looking for…

George Osborne is quoted in an Esquire profile vowing to never stop attacking Theresa May until she is “chopped up in bags in my freezer”. Not really the words of a man who is thinking rationally. As Guido noted a couple of weeks ago Tory MPs have been increasingly disturbed by Osborne’s macabre imagery when describing May. He has described her as a “dead woman walking”, said she is on “death row”, called her the “living dead” and talked of her “immediate execution”. The Tories will have reason to cancel his conference pass on security grounds at this rate…

Meanwhile today’s Evening Standard splashes on yet another pro-Juncker front page. Do Remainers really think talking up Jean-Claude is the way to get voters to change their minds? Mad…

George Osborne’s Evening Standard hits peak metropolitan liberal elitism with this cartoon revealing how ultra-Remainers really see EU migrants: as cheap labour so serve them coffee, look after their children and clean their loos. It reminded Guido of Kelly Osbourne’s infamous racism row, where she tried to defend Latinos by asking: “Who is going to clean your toilets?” 

The mask slips…

Tory MPs have noticed that George Osborne is very keen on using morbid imagery to describe Theresa May. In June he said she was a “dead woman walking” and asked how long she would “remain on death row”. In July he wondered who would “wield the knife”. Today he says she is “like the living dead”. He’s also said she is “like King Charles I” (who was beheaded). If you didn’t get the point, he adds that she has “staved off an immediate execution”. Imagine he sits in his office throwing darts at a Theresa May dartboard…

The coverage of some newspapers breathlessly endorsing Juncker’s nonsense today is remarkable. Not sure siding with Jean-Claude is a great look for Remainers…

UPDATE: Iain Martin agrees over on Reaction.