HOW did you spend your Brexit Day?
Probably not in the same way as some of our most prominent Brexiteers, for whom all Christmases had come at once.
BeLeave campaigner Darren Grimes said as much, sharing a pic on Twitter of his “appropriate” Union Jack socks and wishing followers a “Happy Brexmas one and all!”.
Home Secretary Priti Patel was also in a celebratory mood. She posed with a Union Jack cake and a grin as wide as the English Channel, tweeting: “It’s done. Today we will finally leave the EU.”
Richard Tice, chair of the Brexit Party, was just as cheerful, posting: “BREXIT DAY is here!! A massive moment, I plan to smile all day!”
Perhaps he did, but ex-immigration minister Caroline Nokes may have been more down in the mouth, going by her social media activity. “Brexit Day started with an 8.30 trip to the dentist”, she tweeted, adding “painful but sadly necessary”.
Remain-voting Scotland, of course, was dragged out of the EU by the strength of England’s Leave support.
That didn’t seem to bother Thomas Kerr, leader of Glasgow City Council’s Conservative group, who declared that: “The United Kingdom is leaving the EU and Glasgow has boundless opportunities to unlock. Let’s not relive the debate of the past, let’s look towards a bright future.”
Brexit godfather Nigel Farage certainly agreed, trumpeting “a massive victory for the people against the establishment”.
“At last the day comes when we break free,” he went on, while Tory MP Suella Braverman pledged: “This new chapter will be one of people power, democracy and prosperity.”
Which, to be fair, sounds great. If only all the analysis carried out by researchers and think tanks pointed in that direction.
No matter – according to broadcaster Julia Hartley-Brewer’s t-shirt, it’s a case of “job done”.
On her Talk Radio show, she asked LibDem Christine Jardine what she’d be doing last night to mark the change, then laughed when the MP said she’d be at the vigil in Edinburgh.
“Julia,” Jardine said, “you might find that amusing. For a lot of people who live in this country and contribute to this country, this is a very difficult day.”
“I was laughing at the idea of attending a vigil when we’re marking a great day in our democratic history,” Hartley-Brewer responded, pledging to “raise a glass to everyone here in Britain and our European cousins as well as we mark this wonderful day”.
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