In short, the Government stopped functioning two years ago, and Parliament has now reached a voting deadlock.

The main parties themselves could be next in the line of dominoes to fall, because the party whips are almost all but irrelevant now and ignored with impunity.

We are in a far-reaching constitutional crisis, and those organisations that thrive on chaos and noise, including some shallow media, are loving it. For real people and communities it is horrendous.

There is a saying: we need to become the change we want to see happen. This is now the position the Labour party finds itself in.

So, some suggestions for the Government we need, if not the Government we have.

1. Talk to people honestly; listen and understand their emotions. Key points: “The referendum was run illegally, as well as on lies.” and “Both sides made huge mistakes: Remain had no plan B, and Leave broke the election rules.”

2. We need to hold a fair and legal vote this time, with real, worked-out options for each choice in the vote. No-one is a bad person because of the way they will vote, or did vote. Probably most votes were emotional, not rational, but strong feelings deserve as much human respect as we give for smart thinking.

3. We need a healing or recovery plan for after any Brexit vote, whatever the outcome. “Winner takes all” thinking will not heal communities.

Therefore the historic role of the Labour party in this crisis is essentially to be “progressively patriotic” by holding the ring for the UK while the deep bleeding wounds are closed, stitched, and start to heal. There will be a scar for history to learn from. But better a visible scar than a deadly blood loss.

This is a revolutionary time, UK style.