Brexit has been lost, surrendered by the politicians who championed it to Remainers. A vote by the people, for the people, to decide their own future has been undermined and betrayed. A second vote is now the only way it can be saved.

No sooner had the UK woken to the news that she had voted to leave the European Union, the siren calls for a second referendum began. Every line of attack was wheeled out, from "the public are stupid and couldn’t be trusted", to "the public are clever and will change their minds". Brexiteers sat back and mocked. These were the wails of a defeated elite unused to bloodied noses.

Now, I suspect, many of them wish they hadn’t wasted their time gloating.

As things stand, Brexit will not happen. Yes, Brexit won the referendum, but leading Brexiteers had argued for years that the EU was a devious institution and that the establishment would try any trick to prevent our exit. If they believed this, why were they not prepared for what happened next?

The Brexiteers who insisted people should decide, because politicians would never acquiesce, have lost control of the Brexit process – both inside and outside Parliament. Yet despite that they insist that there should not be a second referendum, oblivious to their impending defeat as another ballot edges towards the inevitable. "It’s not fair," they say. "We won first time."

It is they who are to blame for this situation. A lack of discipline – or perhaps competence – has conceded the field and, by extension, authority of the process to Remain. That is why, if Brexiteers genuinely want Brexit to succeed, they should now back the call for a second referendum.

Brexit’s biggest asset is the people. It’s why Eurosceptics campaigned for so long to hold a referendum, rather than leave the matter in the lap of party politicians and civil servants. Leavers pushed to giv​e the public the vote directly. They believed the people could be trusted to make up its mind on the matter of Europe. So what changed?

The solution to parliamentary infighting among a cohort stacked in favour of remain should not be to fold our arms and sulk as Brexit erodes. The people are now being ignored: they must be allowed to tell the government that they have not changed their minds and also, should they choose, that they do not want Theresa May’s deal either. If the public made that decision once, against the backdrop of pro-EU funding and propaganda, they can do so again.

Supporting the principle of fairness is not why so many leading Brexiteers respond reticently to the idea of another vote. It is because, deep down, Brexiteers are cut from the same elitist cloth as their Remainer counterparts. They do not trust the public to make the "right" decision.

"Brexit betrayal" march in London Show all 43 1 /43 "Brexit betrayal" march in London "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester holds an anti-BBC sign Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit demonstrator holds a sign in the picket line Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester carrying a noose at the "Brexit betrayal" march. The man carrying it told a reporter: "That's what the traitor May deserves." AP "Brexit betrayal" march in London Pro-brexit supporters hold a sign opposed to Nigel Farage Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Protesters carry a defaced British flag on the march Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Tommy Robinson addresses a rally after taking part in a Brexit 'betrayal' march in central London PA "Brexit betrayal" march in London Police officers attempts to keep rival protesters from clashing at the Brexit 'betrayal' march in London Victoria Jones/PA "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester holds an anti-Theresa May sign Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit demonstrator and his dog Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit demonstrator at the protest Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit sign at the rally Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Pro-brexit demonstrators endorse UKIP Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A Brexit 'betrayal' march protester wearing a Make Britain Great Again hat in London on 9 December 2018 Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty "Brexit betrayal" march in London Brexit 'betrayal' marchers gathering on Park Lane ahead of a protest Angela Christofilou/ The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London The "Brexit Betrayal" march passes through Central London Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Tommy Robinson tells protesters to join Ukip via their mobile phones on stage next to leader Gerard Batten (right) at the Brexit 'betrayal' march Gareth Fuller/PA "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester speaks thorugh a megaphone on the march Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit demonstrator walks in the picket line Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit anti-May sign at the rally Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester carries a Union Jack on the march Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit demonstrator wrapped in the Union Jack Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit anti-May sign at the rally Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Pro brexit demonstrators move through Central London Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit demonstrator marches with sign Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit demonstrator holds a rude sign in the rally Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London The march passes down Victoria Street near Parliament Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A festive protester marches near Parliament Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester holds a mock noose as the march passes down Victoria Street towards Parliament Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester wrapped in the Union Jack marches down Victoria Street towards Parliament Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester makes some noise on the march Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester dressed as a dinosaur holds a sign rallying against "Davocracy" - in reference to the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester holds a pro-brexit sign on the march Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London The march approaches parliament Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester distributes pro-brexit lapel badges Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A demonstrator wears an anti-EU poster and holds an anti-BBC sign Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A smoke bomb is deployed in Parliament Square as the march comes across the counter-demonstration Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A flag bearing the Arms of Plantagenet flies in theprot Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Protesters on the Brexit 'betrayal' march in London on 9 December 2018 Angela Christofilou/ The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Protesters on the Brexit 'betrayal' march in London on 9 December 2018 Angela Christofilou/ The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Brexit 'betrayal' marchers gathering on Park Lane ahead of a protest on 9 December 2018 Angela Christofilou/ The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Brexit 'betrayal' marchers gathering on Park Lane ahead of a protest on 9 December 2018 Angela Christofilou/ The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Angela Christofilou/The Independent

Perhaps this goes some way to explaining why Brexit has fallen so far; those who championed it did so for their own ends, believing themselves more knowledgable than the public, while guilty of the same incompetence as those they wished to replace in power. To call for a referendum now would be to acknowledge that incompetence, that they need the people’s help.

Yet Brexit is too important to be allowed to fail simply to let certain politicians save face. It needs to be restored to the people. And that means, once again, it must be put to the people.

The EU referendum was a powerful, catalytic moment of history. It gave people the chance to change an entrenched system, and challenge established elites, by a means other than violence. Historically, that is a rare thing.

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A second referendum is a gamble. It is the only form of democracy in which the people can actually be consulted honestly. It is a wonderful chance to take on those who decry Brexit: to look them in the eye, and defeat them again. It is a chance to reclaim the narrative co-opted by the People's Vote campaign.