Mrs May writes a letter, MPs rage, Pound falls.

Mrs May writes a letter to Donald Tusk (The Love Letter, early 1770s by Jean Honore Fragonard)

Nine days to go till Brexit Day and Mrs May has written to Donald Tusk asking for an extension to the end of June at the latest, to be considered at a meeting of EU leaders tomorrow. His immediate response is , that it could be possible, if Britain votes for her deal. A difficult proposition with Parliament polarised.

Another obstacle, John Bercow, the Speaker, has stated that a centuries old parliamentary precedent means she cannot bring back the same deal, unaltered, for a third vote after the past two defeats.

The opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, after repeatedly asking for the Prime Minister to open her door to him for talks because Britain is in crisis, walks into a meeting with her and straight out again, because the centrist Chukka Ummuna had also been invited. Very statesmanlike!

And the pound, which had been rising, begins to fall again.

Tick tock, tick tock.