There are things about Brexit that, however desperate and damaging, we have come to regard as given. We accept, for instance, that the person most to blame for Theresa May’s terrible Brexit deal failing for the third time today is, in fact, Theresa May. We take for granted that she will try to blame others for this failure.

We realise that every day, May and her venal, incompetent government will sink even lower in terms of what they are willing to do, how much chaos they will inflict upon the country, simply to hang on to power­. And we know that the fundamentalist Conservative European Research Group will endlessly bluster and flip-flop in pursuit of its unhinged ideal of a no-deal Brexit. Jacob Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson today voting for a deal they’d repeatedly said was thewful and would turn Britain into a vassal state and a slave state was grotesque, but not at all surprising, such is our rock bottom opinion of both.

But now it seems the Brexit scales have also fallen from the eyes of most of the Labour MPs still trying to find a way to support a Tory Brexit deal. An impressive push of lobbying, petitioning and whipping of Labour MPs who either support Leave or represent heavily Leave-voting areas, ensured that all but five voted against May’s deal.

This also speaks to the foolishness of May’s approach: she tried to bribe Labour MPs by promising money to their constituencies (which we would readily be seen as corruption if it were happening anywhere else). She tried to isolate them, pick them off one by one. She tried to assure that, even though they were voting for a blind Brexit, parliament would have control of the process.

Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Show all 30 1 /30 Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Pro-Brexit leave the European Union supporters attend a rally in Parliament Square after the final leg of the "March to Leave" in London AP Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit The protest march which started on March 16 in Sunderland, north east England, finished on what was the original date for Brexit to happen before the recent extension Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter holds up a poster during a rally after the final leg of the "March to Leave" in London, Friday, March 29, 2019. Pro-Brexit demonstrators were gathering in central London on the day that Britain was originally scheduled to leave the European Union. (AP Photo/ Kirsty Wigglesworth) Kirsty Wigglesworth AP Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A pro-Brexit protester holds a sign next to a statue of Winston Churchill at the March to Leave demonstration in London, Britain March 29, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville TOBY MELVILLE Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit demonstrators in Parliament Square in Westminster, London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday March 29, 2019. See PA story POLITICS Brexit. Photo credit should read: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire Jonathan Brady PA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Pro-Brexit protesters hold signs and wave flags at the March to Leave demonstration in London, Britain March 29, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville TOBY MELVILLE Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit epa07471421 Pro-Brexit protesters gather outside of the Parliament for Nigel Farage's 'March to Leave' in London, Britain, 29 March 2019. MPs rejected Prime Minister's May EU withdrawal agreement earlier in the day. EPA/NEIL HALL NEIL HALL EPA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter sips a can of Stella in protests outside of the Houses of Parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Dedicated anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray and likewise pro-Brexit campaigner Joseph Afrane go head to head near the Houses of Parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A pro-Brexit marching band in Parliament Square Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Remain supporters wave EU flags from a bus in Parliament Square PA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter shouts slogans outside parliament EPA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter protests outside parliament Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter protests outside of the Houses of Parliament Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters protest outside of the Houses of Parliament REUTERS Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A pro-Brexit flag is waved in Parliament Square AP Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit The March to Leave nears the Houses of Parliament Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit protester holds a sign outside parliament EPA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters carry the coffin of democracy AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters march outside parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters take part in the March to Leave protest in London PA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters protest outside parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter holds a sign outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A man holds satirical paintings of politicians Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit An pro-Brexit float on the March to Leave march in London Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Far-right activist Tommy Robinson addresses protesters outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter outside the Houses of Parliament Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Tommy Robinson supporter arrives at the Houses of Parliament Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A jogger gestures rudely at a Brexit supporter outside of the Houses of Parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter outside the Houses of Parliament PA

It didn’t work because what was placed before parliament today was so obviously a blank cheque – one written out not even to May, but to one of the Leave zealots waiting in the wings to replace her. It didn’t work because the withdrawal agreement in itself had nothing to offer even Leave-supporting Labour MPs: no guarantees on workers’ rights, no guarantees for EU citizens in the UK – and a legal restraint on public services and economic policies that would hamstring a Labour government.

Above all, it didn’t work because this despicable attempt to blackmail MPs over Brexit is happening while the country is dealing with record levels of child poverty, rising homelessness and foodbank use, stagnating wages, battered public services and all-pervasive insecurity – a nation desperate for change. Even if you well-meaningly intended to abide by the narrow referendum decision to leave the EU, no Labour MP would want to help inflict any of that on their constituents and their country for a moment longer.

With May’s Brexit deal seen off for a third time, it’s now looking more likely that we are heading for a general election. It’s expected that a customs union Brexit option and a second referendum will gain the most support in Monday’s indicative votes in parliament. But both those options will break the Conservatives, which means that May won’t go for either.