Brexit means Brexit and we are going to make a Titanic success of it

Thank you very much. You are perfectly right, I had prepared two speeches. As some of you may know, I do like to have two versions for these occasions. Thank you very much, George, thank you very much Fraser. What an extraordinary few months it has certainly been and there have been times where I have had to admit that, like the loyal and faithful hound, Kim, to whom George has already alluded, like him, like the faithful alsatian belonging to Michael Heseltine, there have been moments since June 23rd where I have genuinely feared. In those very grim days after June 23rd, I genuinely feared that I might be strangled by a crazed, pop-eyed Europhile ‘Remainer’. And like Kim the alsatian therefore, I am absolutely thrilled to have this reprieve and to have been recognised in the way the Spectator has chosen to do.

The chap points out from the floor that the dog had a very brief reprieve.