Brexit delay is better than a Tory-Labour imposed backstop

This is encouraging news.

The least bad option now is a substantial delay to Brexit of at least a year, due to the pitifully inadequate time provided by Article 50 for departure.

With hindsight it was of course a mistake for Theresa May to trigger Article 50 in early 2017, given the narrow timeframe, but it is at least understandable why she did so.

Her decision to call a general election was as safe a political bet as there has been in a general election since World War Two, given the overwhelming nature of the Tory polling lead, but nonetheless the bet failed.

Had the PM delayed longer on triggering Brexit, she would have been accused of blocking it.

It is perhaps a good thing for unionists that she lost that election, because it is likely that she would have imposed the backstop had she had a large majority.

That backstop might yet be imposed, but any failure in the Tory-Labour talks makes a complete rethink more likely than it was.

If the UK contests the MEP elections, pro Brexit candidates might sweep the board. The European Parliament that emerges might also be more eurosceptic than now, which would mean Britain has more allies in Brussels.