Perhaps such gods as exist have put the Brexit debacle on Earth for all of us. It’s a nasty disease the UK has to battle through in order to remind us of lessons in history that we seem to have forgotten. If you were writing a political drama for streaming television it has every nuance of political stupidity and bastardy know to man. One might get lost in the plots and sub-plots.

Around the world, political aficionados along with the people who really work for a living are struck by the never-ending saga. Some are bewildered by it, others are enjoying a touch of schadenfreude as the once mighty empire seems to be imploding. I don’t pretend to know where it will end but I do know one thing. The British people have a grit and resolve that should not be underestimated. We saw it when they stood up to Hitler, later to be joined, thankfully, by the Americans. We have subsequently seen it in their response to horrific attacks of terrorism. I’m hoping for their sake that grit and resolve will get them through this. The Western free world needs the UK.

What they are going through might be an ugly mess but it is a reminder that in free countries we can argue like hell, test the limits of our powers and finally resolve an issue. It’s rarely a tidy process. In authoritarian dictatorships neither the people nor any facade of their representation get a say at all. Boris Johnson wants to play the strongman but he can’t ride roughshod over Parliament.

Churchill is apparently idolised by Johnson, so in his battle to be the strongman and push Parliament around he might choose to remember what Churchill said about the Parliament versus the strongman. Johnson quoted it in his book on his idol. As a reminder of the value of the messy process of parliamentary democracy, Churchill said, “This little place is what makes the difference between us and Germany. It is in virtue of this that we shall muddle through to success and for lack of this Germany’s brilliant efficiency leads her to final disaster."