Even Johnson has to accept: no transition period without the EU’s agreement…

Wonder if this will knock yet more of the shine off Johnson’s candidacy, his admission in interview that:

Johnson then admitted the UK would not be entitled to an implementation period without signing up to the current withdrawal agreement. “That’s certainly what I’m aiming for … to get an implementation period,” he said.

But then, there’s this:

He said he believed there were “abundant, abundant technical fixes that can be introduced to make sure that you don’t have to have checks at the border” but conceded there was “no single magic bullet” to solve the issue of the Irish border.

And as with the hapless Gove we are then treated to more touchy feely stuff.

However, he said there was now “a real positive energy about getting it done … I think on both sides of the channel there’s an understanding that we have to come out, but clearly parliament has voted three times against the backstop arrangements.”

Then he speaks nonsense about how nobody wants a hard border in Ireland and everyone agrees it is not necessary. Really?

Speaking of which, what an interesting admission from him here:

Johnson said he believed there would be a “very different outcome” with UK negotiators determined to find an alternative to the backstop. “We were committed to it. We actually helped to invent it. We were the authors of our own incarceration. Take that away. Change the approach of the UK negotiators and you have a very different outcome,” he said.

Right. Okay.

Here’s the video.

Is it me or did he seem remarkably vague and almost hesitant? He’s fluent on the generalised stuff about the politics (though not persuasive) but he’s tellingly hesitant about the details. And the stuff about the €39bn – does he really think that’s a deal breaker for the EU?