Someone in Brussels has a sense of humour. One of the euro elves let it be known this week that the deal which the UK hoped to sign this summer has stalled over migration rules. Keir Starmer and his minister–negotiator Nick Thomas-Symonds are seeking a deal on food and agricultural products in exchange for one on youth mobility. However, the number of young people coming to the UK, Thomas-Symonds insists, has to be capped. Cue, with exquisite chutzpah, a leak that the EU is instead prepared to offer Britain an ‘emergency brake’ on the arrival of under-30s if the numbers get too much. Sound familiar?

An emergency brake on free movement was exactly what David Cameron asked for in his 2015 negotiations (and even Tony Blair had talked of wanting an emergency brake before that). Of course, Cameron failed to secure this, beyond a few tweaks around access to benefits. This he presented to the nation as a great concession – to the deafening sound of raspberries from the electorate. The deal was so weak that after about three days of touting the products of his renegotiation, Cameron gave up and deployed Project Fear on the likely costs of Brexit instead.

The lesson of the emergency brake is that the EU can evolve its position but often only when it is too late

The lesson of the emergency brake is that the EU can evolve its position but often only when it is too late

It was probably unrealistic of Cameron to expect the EU to move on migration. Angela Merkel, the dominant figure of that age, was wedded to the four freedoms of the EU, and put her money where her mouth was by accepting a million migrants into Germany. She is probably the one non-British........

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