Portrait of the day

• Donald Tusk rejected Boris Johnson's proposals for the Northern Irish backstop, suggesting that the Prime Minister was effectively in favour of 're-establishing a border'...
• ...but No. 10 accused the European Union of being unwilling to renegotiate a Brexit deal.
• Angela Merkel said the EU was 'ready to find a solution' to the backstop, ahead of meetings with Johnson.
• Labour demanded that the government publish the most up-to-date assessment of no deal.
• Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson branded Jeremy Corbyn a 'Brexiteer'.

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The analysis

Back to the backstop blame game

Boris Johnson is due to have meetings with EU leaders about a possible Brexit deal this week, and to warm up for those, he's had a row with European Council president Donald Tusk. The Prime Minister clashed with Tusk over his demands that the controversial Irish backstop be scrapped. In Johnson's eyes, this solution to the risk of a hard border on the island of Ireland is ‘anti-democratic’, ‘inconsistent with the UK’s desired final destination for a sustainable long-term relationship with the EU’ and a risk to the ‘delicate balance embodied in the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement’. He wants the EU to tear it up. But Tusk responded publicly to Johnson's letter making these demands, and all but accused him of being set on a no-deal exit. He said: ‘The backstop is an insurance to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland unless and until an alternative is found. Those against the backstop and not proposing realistic alternatives in fact support re-establishing a border. Even if they do not admit it.’

As I say on Coffee House, the fight today hasn't been so much about the backstop as about who gets to blame who if Britain does leave with no deal. That's why both sides are so keen to accuse the other of not really being willing to present viable solutions. Part of Johnson's preparations for no deal need to include shifting the blame away from himself, and there will be plenty more of these stand-offs in the coming weeks.

First, though, the Prime Minister has talks with Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron. He is expected to reiterate his warning that he cannot contemplate a new deal unless the backstop is dropped, and that Britain is ready to leave without a deal if necessary. Merkel today said that while leaders would not re-open the exit agreement, they were ready to 'think about practical solutions on the backstop'. On a visit to Iceland, the German Chancellor said: 'The moment we have a practical arrangement with which we can uphold the Good Friday Agreement and still define the limits of the domestic market, we won't need the backstop anymore.' She meets Johnson tomorrow, and then the PM will see Macron on Thursday.

‘We have 50 different swear words for No...’

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Quote of the day

‘Jihadi Jack’ Letts on being stripped of his British citizenship.

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Today on Coffee House

No. 10 hits back in the backstop blame game – Isabel Hardman

No. 10’s media strategy: ‘The focus is the country rather than the Westminster bubble’ – Katy Balls

A no-deal Brexit isn’t worth the risk – Alistair Burt

Emmanuel Macron could be Boris Johnson’s Brexit saviour – John Keiger

Jo Swinson riles up Corbynistas again – Steerpike

From Spectator Life

The five most hysterical reactions to a no deal Brexit – Benedict Spence

Why are fewer Frenchwomen sunbathing topless? – Gavin Mortimer

Discover the tiny French island that is paradise for art lovers – Tabi Jackson Gee

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On Spectator Radio

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Tomorrow’s agenda

• 9:30 a.m. Public sector finance figures for July to be released by the ONS. In July 2018, there was a surplus on the public finances of £3.5 billion.
• 9:30 a.m. Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) figures for 2018-19 to be published by the Scottish government.
• Boris Johnson to meet Angela Merkel in Berlin on his first overseas visit since becoming Prime Minister.

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Your invitations

Subscribers are invited to join us at the following Spectator events:

• 3 September: How to be a dictator – an evening with Frank Dikötter in conversation with Sam Leith. Details here.
• 17 September: Can Boris do it? With Fraser Nelson, James Forsyth, Katy Balls and special guests. Details here.
• 4 October: Wine cruise. Details here.
• 28 October: An evening with Douglas Murray and Lionel Shriver on identity politics. Details here.

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Barometer

Do you have the time and money to emulate Greta Thunberg by sailing, rather than flying, to cut your cabon footprint? The very limited number of journeys that passengers can do on a scheduled sailing vessel include:

• Sailing from Fredrikstad (Norway) to Amsterdam takes 9 days and costs £820. Flying from Oslo to Amsterdam takes 1 hr, 35 mins and costs £98.
• Sailing from Rotterdam to Tenerife takes 20 days and costs £1,640. Flying from Amsterdam to Tenerife takes 4 hrs, 35 mins and costs £61.
• Sailing from Seville to Punta Arenas, Chile takes 87 days and costs £7,775. Flying from Seville to Punta Arenas takes 23 hrs and costs £860.