Boris Johnson: Brexit proposal is a ‘genuine attempt to bridge chasm’

Boris Johnson’s tone was a world away from his abrasive approach last week. He told MPs that his new plan to replace the Northern Irish backstop was a genuine attempt to “bridge the chasm” to get a new deal with the EU.

Hardline Brexiters – who killed off Theresa May’s Withdrawal Agreement – sounded supportive. But opposition parties rubbished it and the Irish Prime Minister said it risked the peace process.

As for the rest of the EU, the response was pretty frosty.