‘Twere only yesterday we remarked that “Many of the reforms we need not only means going up against the green blob, it flies in the face of Johnson’s flagship Net Zero policy. At some point he is going to have to choose between Brexit and Net Zero. He cannot fudge the issue”.

Writing in a similar vein, Ben Marlow in the Telegraph writes “the sad reality is that because of Boris’s own searing incompetence, at the heart of a government that is now hopelessly adrift, this country has resolutely failed to take advantage of any of the major benefits that were to be had, or at least we were repeatedly told were to be had, from casting ourselves adrift from the European Union.”

Elsewhere the Telegraph reports that a plan devised by Lord Frost, the UK’s former Brexit negotiator, to cut two retained EU regulations for every one written has been dropped. It was said not to fit in with Mr Johnson’s ambitions to cut Britain’s carbon emissions to net zero by 2050.

The news that Mr Johnson had spared EU rules from the chop in favour of his green agenda emerged just a day after he promised to cut a billion pounds’ worth of regulation carried over into UK law and published a document called “The Benefits of Brexit: How the UK is taking advantage of leaving the EU”.

In the paper, the Government argued the “one-in-two-out rule” was not “consistent with delivering world-class regulation to support the economy in adapting to a new wave of technological revolution or to achieving net zero”.

We would point out that the “one-in-two-out rule” is not a coherent basis on which to deregulate, and any approach to deregulation must be with a view to systemic reform rather than timid pruning here and there to suit the demands of Tory donors. The very concept of “one-in-two-out rule” is a gimmick that’s been doing the rounds since before David Cameron.

What is clear, however, is that when push comes to shove, Johnson will choose Net Zero over Brexit. We didn’t have to wait long to see which way he would swing.

The one thing we’re not getting from this government is any detail as to what the Brexit Freedoms Bill does entail, though it appears to be an executive freedoms bill, giving ministers power to revise regulation without the input of parliament.

Precisely what value parliament can add, being that half of them think men have a cervix, and get their information from select committees stuffed with NGOcrats and green think tanks, is debatable – but cutting parliament out of the loop on regulation surely flies in the face of Brexit’s aim to democratise the process. Though one cannot help but enjoy the irony of po-faced remainers now demanding parliament has a say in which EU rules are on the statute book. There’s a first time for everything!

That said, it scarcely matters either way now. Boris Johnson has abandoned Brexit, and anything he presents to parliament will only be criticised insofar as it doesn’t go far enough or fast enough to meet the Net Zero target. We cannot rely on our so-called representatives to question measures that will restrict our mobility or drive up our heating bills. We are effectively without democratic representation. Thus, Net Zero is as big an affront to democracy as the European Union. This is the politics of the establishment at its worst.

The upshot is that our regulatory regime will remain in lockstep with that of the EU, meaning that by leaving the EU, we'll have sacrificed considerable volumes in EU trade to carry on as though we were still a member. The sole gain of Brexit thus far has been to end freedom of movement, but Patel is quietly reversing that decision by way of stealth amnesties for illegal immigrants, while the trade minister mulls visa liberalisation for Indians.

Though we never had any faith in Johnson’s deregulation agenda, it now looks like the Tories are sweeping Brexit under the rug, and doing all they can to pretend it never happened. Instead we’re getting heat pumps, windmills and electric cars that won’t make it as far as Luton from London in a light snow shower. Bills are going up, our savings will be eaten away, and the Tories couldn’t care less.

If you were hoping for a conservative turnaround after the partygate fiasco, you’ve had your answer. It’s “f*ck you” – as usual.