The old Brexit warrior Steve Baker is one to watch on the Northern Ireland Protocol

So, Leo Varadkar thinks that the Northern Ireland Protocol is perhaps a “little too strict”.

That’s progress, but we should understand that there are currently many moving parts in the engine of possible protocol reform, and altruism on the part of Leo Varadkar isn’t one of them.

I expected chaos from the new Truss regime and she didn’t disappoint. But, perhaps by mistake, she made too excellent appointments, James Cleverly as Foreign Secretary and Steve Baker at the NIO.

Cleverly knows what he is doing. Even Steve Baker is focused and has a positive hinterland. Let’s not criticise him for apologising to Ireland recently, it’s part of a sensible and calculated diplomatic dance.

Massive geopolitical necessity on a European scale, caused by Russia’s behaviour, alongside extremely powerful unionist demands for protocol reform, mean that there is now less reason for the EU to pursue its intransigence towards Northern Ireland.

The UK is needed for many reasons, especially by Northern and Eastern European states. Only recently we committed to the military protection of Sweden and Finland, if they are attacked before they join Nato, and that is just one small element of our continental engagement.

Sensible Europeans see the protocol as a hindrance to full British involvement in the struggle against tyranny and disorder in Europe, a struggle that will probably haunt us for the rest of our lives.

I presume that Cleverly has explained all this to Liz Truss. To be fair, she will understand it herself, after a fashion. There are enormous deals to be done, not just on the protocol, but on energy, security and political cooperation in Europe, and much more besides.

As I always believed, the protocol issue will be resolved, at least to some acceptable degree, when Paris and Berlin decide it is in their interests on a European scale, when Dublin realises that in working against the UK they are also damaging themselves, and when we get our diplomatic act together.

NIO Minister Steve Baker will be one to watch on this. The old Brexit warrior seems increasingly inclined towards self-reflection and problem solving, and he is not disingenuous or dishonest. It will be interesting to see what he has to say over the next few weeks as protocol negotiations proceed.

John Gemmell, Wem, Shropshire