Let's hope Starmer's EU deal does not reopen the wounds of Maastricht
Emerging from a lengthy negotiation with European leaders, the Prime Minister spoke confidently about the deal he had secured.
Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
''It is game, set and match for Britain,'' he declared chirpily
Not the words of Sir Keir Starmer, who used the somewhat gawkier-sounding management cliche 'win-win' to describe his new trade agreement with the EU. They were used by John Major, back in 1991, who returned from intense negotiations in the Netherlands to proudly reveal his Maastricht Treaty to Parliament.
The fine details of the deal Sir Keir has agreed with the European leaders have yet to be fully scrutinised, but we should all hope that it stands the test of time better than the deal struck by his predecessor, which sparked years of in-fighting among his own party, and ultimately the decision to leave the European Union in 2016.
Sir Keir said his agreement would 'boost jobs, lower bills and protect the borders', and few people would argue that those are all good things.
But many will be alarmed by his suggestion that practical benefits trumped arguments about sovereignty, and it was 'time to move on from the stale old debates', which suggest he still struggles to grasp the importance of nationhood and sovereignty to the millions of people who voted for Brexit.
And while food standards and fishing rights are not the sort of things that people discuss down the Dog & Duck, the early signs on these subjects are not encouraging. Agreeing to comply with future EU directives on food, under the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice flies in the face of national independence, and feels very much like a return to the old days. And granting European fisherman extended rights to our waters for another 12 years has left British trawlermen understandably angry.
Time will tell whether the Prime Minister's deal with the European Union represents a positive reset in relations with our European neighbours, or will unravel as badly as John Major's agreement at Maastricht.
We should all hope it is the former. The very last thing this country needs is the start of another civil war over Brexit.