The thing about getting a deal, or no deal, is that BJ can’t lose, in the short term. If we think of Brexit as an English “thing” then whether we get a deal, or not, is immaterial. There will be many English voters happy either way and as BJ only needs to keep English voters happy, especially in the north, then he is in a win win scenario. I say this in the “short term” as if a no deal turns out to be a disaster nothing will save him.