I absolutely agree that the “will of the people” changes in a democracy, but it is increasingly clear that there will be no second referendum — at least not until after the next general elections. Labour itself is as happy to dither as it was during the campaigning phase — political expediency.

However, purely as a thought exercise (this is an outsider’s perspective and I moved to the UK only after the referendum) — will it be so terrible to be out of the EU? Various standards of goods and services may hardly change — as they are anyway similar across the Western world; but healthy shock therapy has worked for many an economy in the past. The flight of capital doesn’t seem to have materialized thus far.

The shared insouciance of multiple generations of politicians (and even bureaucrats) since 1945, with regards to ECSC, EEC and the EU is striking. For an outsider, no account since the war has given me the impression that the UK ever wanted wholly in or wholly out. At best, it has been an uncomfortable long distance marriage. Perversely, I think crashing out is the only thing which might unite the nation in wanting wholly back in.