Boris Johnson has been PM for less than a month and much of what has been in the headlines has been stepping up preparedness for leaving the EU without a deal.
The PM has been clear during the leadership campaign and since that the best way to get a good deal with the EU is to be clear that we are prepared to leave the EU without a deal. He has also been clear that preserving the UK is extremely important.
The PM has set out his desire in the letter to the EU Council President (link below) to secure a deal but without the backstop and some other aspects of the previous agreement, which was ultimately never agreed by Parliament.
In particular, the backstop has long been a bone of contention and though the previous PM said we never actually wanted to invoke it, it has always found opposition - from the leader of the Labour Party and from 10 of the 11 NI MPs in the House of Commons.
I hope that progress can be made on securing a future agreement with the EU for a smooth exit but as I have long argued and voted for, being clear that we will leave without a deal if necessary, we must respect the 2016 referendum result.
