“David Cameron created this mess to solve his own internal problems, and now he’s leaving it to somebody else to solve”

Cameron will go down in history as one of the poorest political strategists on record. He promised a referendum on EU membership to ensure his survival as Conservative leader and help win a second time as prime minister. The risks so far outweighed the benefits – for himself, for the country and for the European Union – that it was utter madness.

As a very angry French politician (described by his BBC interviewer as “incandescent with rage”) said this morning: “I think David Cameron is completely irresponsible. First he created this mess by promising a referendum to solve his own internal political problems, and now he’s leaving the mess he has created for other people to solve.”

I think Cameron will now be a broken man. It is virtually impossible to live with the consequences of your actions, when the consequences are on that historic, mammoth scale.

Goodbye to all that.