17.4 million people voted to leave the European Union. They did so not just because they were frightened by the consequences of staying in the EU as it fell apart at the seams, but also because they sensed that this was a moment of tremendous opportunity for Britain.

On the day after the vote, there was something beautiful and unfamiliar in the air: a belief in Britain’s ability to flourish as an independent country. It was beautiful because this is a lovely, generous and inventive nation. It was unfamiliar because the decision to choose our own destiny came from right across the political spectrum.

The impact of our vote to leave the EU is far greater than that of any general election result. The British people have issued an instruction to revive the British spirit of enterprise and community in every corner of the nation – in effect, to redesign politics for the 21st century.