So where do the Remain voters go now? Do the 48% of voters who said they wished to stick with the status quo just disappear? Do they cease to be a force in British politics even though Remainers have in the past fortnight displayed a most un-British passion for the EU that was never apparent in the previous 40 years? Do these 16.1 million Remain voters sit back as the 17.4 million of voters who backed Leave –34% of those who registered to vote – work out what exactly Leave means in practice while the architects of Brexit, Messrs Farage and Johnson slink away from the chaos they have unleashed?

For the moment the answer is ‘yes’, Remain voters have nowhere politically to go. However strong the case for a second referendum or for disputing the legality of what on 23 June was constitutionally an advisory vote there isn’t going to be another one for now.