[SteveH]

> Technically, Boris agreeing to a deal that keeps the Irish border open IS “real progress” wouldn’t you say?

To some degree, yes. however, it is not the type of progress that i imagine the EU would nominally require or be able to use since the Boris deal was not approved by Parliament without riders which reinstated delays and/or EU sovereignty.

I wonder if Boris had all this worked out in advance and is actually performing a political bank shot with the goal of obtaining a hard brexit.

[Cronos]

The statement was “real progress” — Boris agreeing to listen to the will of the Northern Irish and keep Northern Ireland in the UK but part of the customs union WAS real progress.

The Irish border was the ONLY part of the deal that was opposed by parliament.

[Cronos]

I wonder if Boris had all this worked out in advance and is actually performing a political bank shot with the goal of obtaining a hard brexit.

You overestimate Boris - he has never shown any sign of tactical or strategic capability in his long, long years in the limelight. His act has been more "shoot over someone's shoulder and deny, deny, deny"