The blows of batons in Barcelona must be heard in Brussels or the EU will crumble. Me? I just want out

Ihate to break the bad news, but even if our MPs had voted to end it yesterday, which, clearly, they did not, Brexit will never, ever be over.

Our parliament has spoken, again, with all the clarity and singleminded purpose that has characterised the last three years as Britain pursued Brexit like a drunk on a bike.

But, even if by some fluke they had taken decisive action and voted for a deal, there would be years of tortuous negotiations to come.

Many of the fine, upstanding purveyors of principle at Westminster yesterday will, I certainly hope, be looking for more gainful employment after the next General Election for their duplicitous and self-serving ways.

I hope there will be hell to pay at the ballot box for those elected members, especially in England and Wales, who are guilty of putting selfinterest and personal ideology before the wishes of their enraged and Brexit-weary constituents.

Personally, by hook or by crook, by deal, no deal or confirmatory referendum, I hope we are now on the way out.

If I wasn’t sure before, last week put the tin lid on it. The horrifying clampdown in Catalonia after the politicians behind an unofficial independence referendum were jailed was bad enough.

The largely unreported upheaval and chaos taking place on the streets of Paris (where police recently fought running battles with striking firemen) only added to the sense of impending doom.

They seem to have completely lost the plot and like Nero did with Rome and his Empire, nearly 2,000 years ago, they are watching with blinkered and ambivalent eyes while Europe crumbles and burns.

Under the largely unelected guardianship, the utopian dream of a democratic European Empire ruled by Brussels is beginning to unravel and unless they address the concerns that millions of their marginalised citizens have with the way