In the early Thirties, at a time of great historic change, Sir Winston Churchill demanded in the House of Commons: “Tell the truth to the British people. They are a tough people, a robust people.” Now, as then, it is time for straight talking. In the swirling kaleidoscope of Brexit, with its stream of Fake News, Project Fear and BBC bias, what is the bottom line?

First, there is no going back. The opening words of the Withdrawal Act passed in June state in black and white that the European Communities Act 1972 is repealed on exit day, March 29 2019. Every EU law and treaty, including the customs union and the single market, then ceases to apply to the UK. The Withdrawal Act is the anchor of the referendum – those who imagine that this Act will be repealed are living in cloud-cuckoo land.

The frothing Reversers know this, as do the Second Referendumites promoting a “People’s Vote”. How often do they have to be told that we had one in June 2016? It was enacted by six-to-one in the Commons by most of those now trying to unravel it and every Conservative stood by it in our manifesto.

Tragically, the Government with its draft Withdrawal Agreement is attempting to undermine the referendum result, too. The backstop is not of itself the only reason for rejecting this unsigned piece of paper. Remember the Prime Minister’s own words at Lancaster House: “We will not have truly left the European Union if we are not in control of our own laws”.

The so-called Withdrawal Agreement, however, is a pig in a poke under which we will most emphatically not enjoy control. It contains the menacing Article 132 which even makes provision for extending the transition period potentially to the end of this century. The words in the agreement are “31 December 20XX”.