Finally, more than three-and-a-half years since the referendum, Britain is going to leave the EU. In principle, we leave at the end of January. That is the clear result of the general election on December 12.

John McDonnell reluctantly acknowledged that “people did want to get Brexit done”. But the election was about something deeper: democracy. When people voted Leave, they – and millions who voted Remain – expected the decision to be respected.

But the opposite happened. The NeoLibAntiDems went into the election calling for a repeal of our majority decision without even a ‘people’s vote’. Labour offered a choice between staying in the customs union and the single market and aligning with EU laws, or simply staying in the EU.

That was no choice at all, and on December 12 they had their ‘people’s vote’, their second referendum. Millions turned to the Conservative Party and, in significant but lesser numbers, the Brexit Party. Not because we love either party, but because when we were determined to vote again for British independence, we had nowhere else to go.

Leaving on January 31 is, though, just about the only thing that is clear. For then the ‘transition’ will begin, during which the Government and the EU will attempt to reach a full leaving agreement. And during which Britain will be subject to all new EU law but have no say in its making.

The election has shown that when the people want to, we can consign political leaders and media darlings to the dustbin of history. We can create governments and destroy them.

But in the coming period we are going to have to do much more. It won’t be good enough to see what final deal comes up and then punish or reward one party or the other in five years’ time. To win Brexit, we the people must assert our own sovereignty, our own control.

Will Podmore

Clavering Road, Wanstead