The decision’s made. Stop whinging. Accept it. You’re in denial. Just get over it.

I suspect I’m not alone in having been given this advice. But denial is no longer solely a symptom of being a Remoaner. We’ve had a long time to react to and cope with the referendum result. And I’ve no doubt that many of us – me included – have had many moments where we denied any of this is actually happening. But it is. And it’s a necessary part of the human condition to be able to deal with the reality we find ourselves in.

The truth is that the Brexiteers now need our help. They have it much worse than we ever did. Their own denial has reached an epic scale – and now poses a real threat to our country.

There are two stages of denial currently on display from this Government. First Stage Denial is exemplified by our Prime Minister, Theresa May. The oft-repeated and very tiresome phrase “Brexit means Brexit” was the first clue to her state of mind. It was a simplistic statement designed to wish away the complexities of the task at hand.

Her speech at Lancaster House and the subsequent fantastical list of contradictory priorities in the White Paper then demonstrated that she is incapable of facing up the facts: that we cannot enjoy the benefits of a club without meeting the rules of the club. My colleagues in Brussels could not be clearer: yes, they would love for Britain to stay and to play a part, but the integrity of Europe is more important than good terms for, say, the German car industry. A club without rules and without membership is no longer a club.

The Prime Minister uses the full weight of the machinery of government to back up her denial. All of Whitehall’s energy now goes into perpetuating a lie: that there will be only gain and no pain from our departure from the European Union, Single Market and Customs Union – the cornerstones of our economy for 40 years.

SNP's Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh sparks fiery Brexit response from Theresa May

Since Nicola Sturgeon demanded a second Scottish independence referendum, the Prime Minister has decried the SNP for wanting to take Scotland out of its biggest market, the UK. A government spokesperson said a rerun of 2014’s referendum vote would be “divisive and cause huge economic uncertainty”. That the hypocrisy of her message does not appear to register with her or her allies simply highlights how securely her denial has taken hold.

Stage Two Denial is more advanced. This is reserved for those who believe their moment has finally come, those who have never believed in our European identity and who crave instead a glorified version of our past – what many of them now call Empire 2.0. So convinced are they that our links to the Commonwealth mean there is no need for a deal with the EU that they are reportedly advising the Prime Minister to walk away from the negotiations. They want no relationship with the EU whatsoever.

Leaders of the Leave campaign such as Lord Lawson now say there is nothing to fear from exiting on WTO terms. It’s a denial not just of the truth but of the thousands of jobs in hundreds of sectors that have grown to be dependent on the network of free movement and free trade. The inevitable pain their approach would lead to, they now hope will be blamed not on their own irrationality, but on our negotiating partners.

A well-functioning Opposition would make mincemeat of the Prime Minister’s fantasy wish-list, and of the fantasists pushing their vision of Empire 2.0. But unfortunately denial isn’t just confined to Tories.

Too many in my own party continue to believe that the Government might yet come up with a “good Brexit”. Some still hold onto the belief that the economic interests of key sectors will win out and secure us a piecemeal deal with the EU. Everything I hear from my colleagues in Brussels suggests this is pure fantasy. But there is little counterweight either in British politics or in the British media to the Government’s approach.

Consequently, many now believe this process will be relatively straightforward, and certainly not worthy of the fuss devoted to it in these pages. And the Prime Minister, buoyed by the opinion polls, unthreatened by serious opposition and enjoying the fruits of her by-election win, knows that the current course is currently popular. What could possibly go wrong?

What experts have said about Brexit Show all 11 1 /11 What experts have said about Brexit What experts have said about Brexit Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond The Chancellor claims London can still be a world financial hub despite Brexit “One of Britain’s great strengths is the ability to offer and aggregate all of the services the global financial services industry needs” “This has not changed as a result of the EU referendum and I will do everything I can to ensure the City of London retains its position as the world’s leading international financial centre.” Reuters What experts have said about Brexit Yanis Varoufakis Greece's former finance minister compared the UK relations with the EU bloc with a well-known song by the Eagles: “You can check out any time you like, as the Hotel California song says, but you can't really leave. The proof is Theresa May has not even dared to trigger Article 50. It's like Harrison Ford going into Indiana Jones' castle and the path behind him fragmenting. You can get in, but getting out is not at all clear” Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Michael O’Leary Ryanair boss says UK will be ‘screwed’ by EU in Brexit trade deals: “I have no faith in the politicians in London going on about how ‘the world will want to trade with us’. The world will want to screw you – that's what happens in trade talks,” he said. “They have no interest in giving the UK a deal on trade” Getty What experts have said about Brexit Tim Martin JD Wetherspoon's chairman has said claims that the UK would see serious economic consequences from a Brexit vote were "lurid" and wrong: “We were told it would be Armageddon from the OECD, from the IMF, David Cameron, the chancellor and President Obama who were predicting locusts in the fields and tidal waves in the North Sea" PA What experts have said about Brexit Mark Carney Governor of Bank of England is 'serene' about Bank of England's Brexit stance: “I am absolutely serene about the … judgments made both by the MPC and the FPC” Reuters What experts have said about Brexit Christine Lagarde IMF chief urges quick Brexit to reduce economic uncertainty: “We want to see clarity sooner rather than later because we think that a lack of clarity feeds uncertainty, which itself undermines investment appetites and decision making” Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Inga Beale Lloyd’s chief executive says Brexit is a major issue: "Clearly the UK's referendum on its EU membership is a major issue for us to deal with and we are now focusing our attention on having in place the plans that will ensure Lloyd's continues trading across Europe” EPA What experts have said about Brexit Colm Kelleher President of US bank Morgan Stanley says City of London ‘will suffer’ as result of the EU referendum: “I do believe, and I said prior to the referendum, that the City of London will suffer as result of Brexit. The issue is how much” What experts have said about Brexit Richard Branson Virgin founder believes we've lost a THIRD of our value because of Brexit and cancelled a deal worth 3,000 jobs: We're not any worse than anybody else, but I suspect we've lost a third of our value which is dreadful for people in the workplace.' He continued: "We were about to do a very big deal, we cancelled that deal, that would have involved 3,000 jobs, and that’s happening all over the country" Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Barack Obama US President believes Britain was wrong to vote to leave the EU: "It is absolutely true that I believed pre-Brexit vote and continue to believe post-Brexit vote that the world benefited enormously from the United Kingdom's participation in the EU. We are fully supportive of a process that is as little disruptive as possible so that people around the world can continue to benefit from economic growth" Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Kristin Forbes American economist and an external member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England argues that the economy had been “less stormy than many expected” following the shock referendum result: “For now…the economy is experiencing some chop, but no tsunami. The adverse winds could quickly pick up – and merit a stronger policy response. But recently they have shifted to a more favourable direction” Getty

In truth, everything. Very few people in politics at the moment seem to be looking forward to the most likely outcomes of this process. The British people are being consistently told this will be a success, that as a nation we will be stronger and more powerful as a result. Yet everything the Government is now doing, including first and foremost the appalling rhetoric aimed at our current allies, is making the prospect of a good deal and a “successful” Brexit less and less likely.

When the extent of their betrayal and their failure becomes impossible to hide, there will be considerable anger from the British public, entitled to ask why they were so badly misled. Political energy should be spent now – not then – on addressing this.

Denial on this scale is not benign. It could lead Britain to a very dark place indeed. All those who believe in democracy must challenge it before it’s too late.