Remain would win a second Brexit referendum by a margin of 8% – according to this week’s  Channel 4/Survation poll, which inevitably got Remainers and Brexiteers hot under the collar in equal measure. How useful it is to know that 54% of British voters would now choose to stay in the EU is debatable – the likelihood of rerunning the referendum seems pretty small, while efforts are scaling up among the negotiators to sign a withdrawal deal later this month.

At the time of going to press, the prime minister was busy trying to persuade her divided Cabinet to back her attempts to secure that deal. The Irish border is the sticking point, and without that issue being resolved the summit to finalise the withdrawal deal will not be convened. Of course, the fear is that as we get ever closer to the 29 March deadline, the prospect of a no-deal Brexit grows.

“The longer the uncertainty lasts, the greater the temptation to press the button on contingency plans and start moving services and jobs out of the UK”

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