The government’s proposal to prorogue parliament for approaching five weeks until October 14 disregards the basic principles of our constitutional system. That should concern us all, whatever our view of Brexit.

The centrepiece of the constitutional system is our democratically elected parliament. The government holds office only so long as it maintains the confidence of the House of Commons. During that time, it is subject to scrutiny by MPs and peers. Such scrutiny, imperfect though it often appears, is vital for properly democratic government. Without it, governments, once in office, could pursue their agendas largely unchecked. We could fall into demagoguery, rather than democracy.

A referendum does not alter the need for parliamentary scrutiny – particularly when it’s a referendum like the Brexit one, that leaves all the details still to be worked out. Proper democratic accountability is needed throughout the process, and, in the absence of another election or referendum, only parliament can provide it.

Alongside the centrality of parliament, the other key feature of our constitution is that it is uncodified – indeed, much of it isn’t written down at all. It’s what is often called a "political" rather than a "legal" constitution: many of the rules reside in tradition, not fixed legal text.