It’s Christmas morning and I realise that we are all meant to be whooping with joy at the agreement of a trade deal which allows us to continue trading on much reduced terms and with vastly much greater bureaucracy, as if this is somehow a gigantic achievement rather than a totally needless and self-inflicted wound, the result of an entirely puerile desire for notional independence in an inter-connected world. But, then, I suppose that like most people I feel a small sense of relief that there is at least a deal, not exactly oven ready, nor a piece of cake, but something to study and ponder over what’s left of the turkey.

Happy Christmas !