In 2014 the rules were almost designed to maximise the independence vote. This time London must take the question much more seriously.
The available evidence “leads to a conclusion that the death rate in Northern Ireland is almost identical to that in the Republic”.
The myth has it that there never was such a plan – in fact, DexEU had a proposal to fulfil its promise of no ‘hard border’ while still overseeing a proper customs regime.
The most likely way through this impasse is a new agreement, sitting on top of the existing Protocol and introducing a new set of principles on how it operates. Such an agreement must preserve Northern Ireland’s constitutional status.