You can stop now, prime minister. The body can’t be resuscitated. The defibrillator you hoped that the guys in Brussels would send over urgently hasn’t arrived. Chopping the wounded, battered body in two has failed to bring it back to life. As Boris Johnson has said, the deal is dead.

Brexit, too, at least in its “hard” form, is dead. And what a day for it to fall off its perch: 29 March 2019. If they had managed to time the fatal vote for a few seconds before 11pm the ironies would have acquired an exquisite garnish. Still, it is a delicious moment.

So that really should be that now for Theresa May’s Brexit deal, at least in its present formulation. Her four-month-long effort to win her Eurosceptic ERG and DUP critics round has finally failed. She has learned, the hard, way they cannot be appeased; and that the invisible border on the Irish border is so important to the DUP, as is having the exact same status as the rest of the UK, that they are happy to live with staying in the EU for as long as it takes to solve the border problem via technological arrangements.

Is that not obvious?

The DUP are not simply orange Brexiteers. Most important, they are famously patient, stubborn people – even more bloody difficult than May. They’ve been through worse than this.

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

May cannot carry her deal in its current form. It needs change, and change that will attract substantial support from across the rest of the Commons that is the opposition parties. She could, weeks ago, have carried her deal if she had made its final approval dependent on a vote of the people. It would easily have enjoyed a three-figure majority. She might even have won. That option, in fact, is still open to her. It is now the last possible way for her to achieve the Brexit she has negotiated and fought so very hard for.

The other evening she made a broadcast in which she appealed over the heads of MPs to the public – “I’m on your side.” Well, if she is, and they are on her side, then all she needs to do is to take her case to the country, in a final rebuke to her rebellious parliamentary colleagues.

In any case, we need to move on. Fortunately some of our MPs are taking their responsibilities seriously, and moving towards something like a consensus about the way forward. Two things – complementary in fact – seem to be emerging from the spitballing of our elected representatives. First, a closer economic relationship with the EU that includes membership of the customs union – something that we agreed to in 1972 as the “economic club” we thought we’d joined.

Second, the need for a Final Say referendum on whatever deal emerges from the current imbroglio.

We could, then, have a referendum based on a choice between Remain; Leave on “soft Brexit” terms; or Leave on WTO terms. That would allow a sovereign people to choose between three realistic options that are acceptable to the EU. If the prime minister had any sense – and her judgment seems to have become increasingly erratic – she should indeed have the courage to put her deal to the people.

Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

Then again, the prime minister herself may not be around for much longer. She promised to quit as soon as Brexit became effective in May – but it seems very unlikely that there is any way that can happen now. Given everything, it would be even more chaotic to have a Conservative leadership election in the middle of this crisis and it would in any case solve nothing.

We also know we cannot crash out of the EU on 12 April, because parliament has ruled it out overwhelmingly. That leaves only one reaming path to stability. May must go to the EU and explain that she needs the time to form a consensus in the Commons (and not her own party). If they give us a year – “a year for Britain” – then she can leave her successor to take the task forward, towards the Final Say referendum. A year should be sufficient for the Tories to elect a new leader, for that new PM to amend the deal, and for them to put it to the people.