A quick EU trade deal will be better than no deal for Boris Johnson – the clock is already ticking

Inside Westminster: The general election result has been welcomed in Brussels because it offers clarity, but the prime minister cannot rest on his laurels

On Brexit, Boris Johnson’s honeymoon will be sweet but short. His huge majority means he will be able to push the bill implementing his withdrawal agreement through parliament quickly, and take the UK out of the EU on 31 January.

Then comes the hard part – negotiations on a long-term trade deal with the EU. Johnson has given this very little attention. Cabinet ministers admit privately they have barely discussed the critical question of how far the UK should diverge from the EU.

In Brussels, the election result has been welcomed because, as one insider told me, “it will provide some clarity and some speed”. Some senior EU figures quietly hoped for a hung parliament and minority Labour government committed to a Final Say referendum that might have kept the UK in the EU club, and its £9bn-a-year membership fee in EU coffers.