Boris won’t back down. Not in the face of revolt over his rushed Australian trade deal – even though "unbridled opportunities" for British farmers look unlikely. Not in the face of Covid – even though "Freedom Day" will likely be postponed or abandoned this evening. And not in the face of "EU intransigence" over the Northern Ireland protocol – even though there’s no viable alternative but for Britain to back down. Indeed, the sooner Boris Johnson bows to the inevitable and puts energy into aligning with EU food standards – the only way to make border checks redundant – the sooner the reckless fuelling of tension and violence in Northern Ireland will end.