Ian MacWhirter

DID Theresa May deliberately sabotage her own Brussels summit on Monday by not first clearing the Ireland border deal with the DUP? She is after all a Remainer. Perhaps it was an attempt to force her own divided party to accept a soft Brexit under which Britain would retain “continued regulatory alignment” with the European Union, as was suggested yesterday by the Scottish Tory leader, Ruth Davidson. For all the appearance of a shambles, was this manoeuvre worthy of a modern Machiavelli? Sadly no. I’m afraid this week’s extraordinary events were more like one of Baldrick’s cunning plans than any stratagem devised by the great Italian diplomat. It reeked of inept diplomatic staff work and uncertain political leadership. Worst of all, it betrayed an ignorance of Irish history. The UK Government seems unable to get its head round the problem of having a land border with the EU in Ireland, and persists in regarding it as a mere technicality – something dreamed up by Brussels to wring more money out of the UK.

WHEN I first heard reports that Holyrood was a hotbed of sexual harassment, I thought it must be a joke in bad taste.

“And here comes President Trump now, holding the hand of Her Majesty the Queen as he guides her to the first tee at Balmoral. Mr Trump invited the Queen to witness his swing at close hand and she graciously accepted.

HOWcould a life-long opponent of anti-semitism like Jeremy Corbyn end up being accused of condoning anti-semitism in the Labour Party? Well, the Commons Home Affairs committee doesn’t actually accuse him of that, but of failing to provide “adequate leadership” and creating a “safe space” for anti-semites,whatever that means.

MUCH the most depressing aspect of the EU referendum campaign so far is the way it keeps coming back to the issue of immigration like a dog to its vomit. Last week's row over the Labour Europe spokeswoman Pat Glass's accusation that a constituent complaining about Polish benefit “scroungers” was racist just underlined the point.

“WHO will speak for England?” asked the Daily Mail in a front page editorial last week. Well, so far only a politician who complains about foreigners with HIV coming to Britain, and an 83-year-old, climate change sceptic who lives in France. That would be the Ukip leader, Nigel Farage, and the former Tory chancellor, Nigel Lawson, chairman of Vote Leave, respectively. About the only thing they have in common is a first name made famous by XTC in their song Making Plans For Nigel.