There is a realistic potential for a compromise on the backstop. It would have to meet these standards:
- Allow Boris Johnson to say he has won a concession
- Allow Ireland to save face
- Avoid the prospect of a hard border in Ireland
Now I am not sure what solution that would be. In the end if standards diverge after the transition period then you need customs checks and 'blockchain' is not an answer. But you can kick that problem into the long grass with some clever wording whereby everyone understands the issue needs to be resolved without those checks and is confident it will be.
I still think it will take the form of a cleverly worded way of saying in the event of no agreement after the transition period the U.K Government gets to decide between continuing the transition or diverging without N.Ireland.
Essentially what the EU offered a year or so ago. The EU gets to say they got what they wanted - especially Ireland - and Boris got rid of the backstop. DUP might not be happy though.