Today in Brexitland, March 4, 2023

The British right has gone crazy. They’ve been flirting with all out insanity for years now but it feels like over the last few days, they collectively lost their minds. I’m genuinely in shock by how much they have acted against their own best interests this week.

I think Sunak and his NI Protocol deal was what has caused this group nervous breakdown. It did two things I don’t believe they were emotionally prepared to accept. One, it showed how wrongheaded so much of the way the negotiations with the EU had been handled by both May and Johnson. What was on display was how much more they could have gained from the EU in negotiations if they’d just approached them in a level-headed, cogent manner instead of believing that at some point Barnier was going to break down crying and promise to give Britain Calais back.