I bit of a ramble coming up, I am afraid, as I try to join several threads together, leading to a concern I have about any further referendum or general election.

One of the speakers at yesterday's "Defend Democracy" meeting said both her parents were German and they left in the summer of 1939. She said she often wonders what the ordinary German thought at that time, but with the current plans to prorogue she thinks she understands now what her parents felt.

I strongly suspect she is mistaken about what most people thought, though. My daughter was working with someone yesterday and so said in passing that she was unable to be at the meeting and the organisers rarely consider people who have to work on Saturdays. That led to a conversation in which it turned out this colleague did not know that Parliament was being prorogued at all, or what that meant. And I imagine that was true in Germany in 1939 as well. A lot of people they would simply have said they were not interested in all that political stuff.

Which brings us to the next election and/or referendum. A lot of Remainers say at least now people will know what they are voting for: it has been made clear in a way it wasn't last time. I think that is wrong, because it does not recognise that the number people really interested - on either side - is relatively small.   The bulk of people have not been following it and perhaps their greatest wish is that it is over somehow. Without a doubt, 'no-deal' sounds like the way to achieve that, even though anyone who has paid any attention knows it is merely the first step of an incredibly long walk.

So I think there is a very good chance Remainers make some critical errors in the next step: far too much on economics and far to little on emotional engagement. Far too glib an assumption that 'people will know what is in store' this time. And far too willing to assume gentlemanly behaviour from their opponents.