THE GUARDIAN: Polls show voters aren’t sick of politics – they’re eager to have their say

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In politics, feelings are powerful. We are used to the idea that politicians can harness our anger, or our fear, to get us to believe certain things and behave in certain ways. But more and more, it is not our anger or fear that politicians appeal to, but our exhaustion.

Exhaustion has become a rhetorical weapon for both sides of the Brexit divide: from some Brexiteers embracing the slogan “Bored of Brexit, Pass The Deal”, to the remainers claiming that only revoking article 50 will avoid years of wrangling over our new relationship with the EU. Equally, it is a political cudgel against MPs (remain or leave) who refuse to take an “easy” way out of Brexit, demanding more time for scrutiny of the deal, or a more careful, deliberative process for the public to have their say.