The Brexit deal is essentially a mix of the EU’s original backstop and UK’s old “customs partnership” idea, which Brussels officials described as “magical thinking”. Getting it over the line will be the next trick.
Brexit is still very much up in the air (EUROPE B12351A1, B12351A2). The compromise on Northern Ireland – which will remain in the UK’s customs union but mimic EU customs rules – has yet to be fully worked out, and has the possibility of being overturned every...