Even the First World War had a Christmas truce.
So don’t be surprised peace has broken out – temporarily, and in a way that probably won’t change a thing – between Jacob Rees-Mogg and Theresa May.
The MP was among 10 Tory Hard Brexiteers who met the Prime Minister at No10 this week, just days after trying to topple her in a no confidence vote.
But the Tory leader’s position looks just as precarious as ever.
Speaking to the Mirror afterwards, Mr Rees-Mogg warned he will still vote against her Brexit deal next month if she can’t drop a divisive ‘backstop’.
And it came as Remain-backing MPs plot an “ambush” of measures in Parliament to stop a No Deal Brexit as soon as the Commons returns on January 7.
MPs will vote on the Brexit deal in the week of January 14 after Theresa May was forced to delay the Commons showdown for more than a month.
Both Brexiteers and Remainers are angry at plans for a ‘backstop’ that could trap the UK under EU customs rules indefinitely.
Theresa May is trying to win them round – but her path to victory looks near-impossible after the EU insisted it would not ditch the backstop.
According to reports today, Mr Rees-Mogg remarked “even the policeman on the door looked surprised” when he turned up in Downing Street on Tuesday.
Six days earlier he had led a failed coup to oust her in which 117 out of 317 Tory MPs voted no confidence in her leadership.
The Times claimed Mrs May empathised with him over hard-hitting press coverage of the failed bid – which saw him compared to a Dad’s Army character.
Mr Rees-Mogg disputed this, saying: “We did not discuss the press at all.”
But he confirmed the meeting took place, and said he could “possibly” support the Brexit deal if the backstop was removed – something the EU refuse to do.
Meanwhile Labour MPs are reportedly uniting with Remain-backing Tory rebels in order to scupper any hope of a no deal Brexit.
Rolling “contempt” motions and multiple “killer” amendments are being drafted in a move that could even block parts of the Budget.
One amendment would prevent the government from changing taxes in a no-deal scenario without parliament’s consent, HuffPost UK reported.
No Deal plans already include stockpiling food, turning motorway stretches into a lorry park, putting 3,500 troops on standby and chartering a plane to bring medical supplies to the NHS from Maastricht.
No Deal Brexit could also force Brits to ‘vary their diet’, leaked plans warn.