In an extraordinary verbal assault, and deploying an absurd generalisation, Jack Straw, an Englishman himself, condemned his fellow countrymen for being “violent” and “aggressive”. And Labour politicians still to this day talk about “the nations and regions of the UK” – the nations, of course, being Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, while the “regions” make up nameless England.

But are the Tories better? Not much. Take the outrageous constitutional injustice they inherited, whereby MPs from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can vote on English matters, without reciprocation. The Tories’ English Votes for English Laws (EVEL) was meant to tackle this. But it’s merely a sop. I bet you can’t name a single law that’s been voted on only by English MPs. Nor can I.

So, how refreshing it was, last summer, to see English people openly express their national pride in the one forum where the word “England” is still unashamedly used – international sport. Those few weeks during the World Cup showed us that, however inconvenient it might be for some politicians, Englishness cannot be supressed. Thirty million of us watched, cheered and finally mourned.

Were we inspired by a multi-ethnic England football team that not only went further than any other for 28 years but reflected the diverse make-up of England as a whole? You bet. The more diverse England is, the better it is – not just at football.

If the Brexit vote taught us anything, it’s that national identity is deeply, ineradicably ingrained – more so, even, than loyalty to a political cause. In fact, research by Sir John Curtice reveals that 94 per cent of people say they have a strong “Brexit identity”, whereas rather fewer (80 per cent) identify with a political party.

You can no more stop someone from feeling a sense of national belonging than you can stop them from feeling hungry at dinner time. Scottishness and Welshness are here to stay. But so is Englishness, whether the politicians like it or not.

So, come on England. Wise up. Don’t allow Brexit to be abandoned just because that’s what Scotland and Northern Ireland voted for, even if the Welsh are on your side. There’s another way – an independent way. Let’s just call it Exit. And leave the rest of the UK to think again.