The decision to leave the EU was taken on June 23 last year. But the terms of our departure and the nature and extent of our future relationship with the European Union are yet to be determined. The Article 50 negotiations will decide the first; a new treaty after that will determine the second.

The journey ahead is uncertain and the government’s white paper — produced in such a hurry last Thursday — is a wish list not an action plan.

Pretending the referendum can be ignored is ultimately a dead end for any party that seeks to govern or to speak for the whole country. All those who, like myself, campaigned passionately to Remain must now step up to the challenge of shaping a