What kind of political party has the brass neck to stand at an election on a programme of having no policies? Before the chaos and turmoil of Brexit, none. But it seems Brexit has binned every political norm and decency, not least our national reputation for pragmatism and common sense.

First off, the party without policies. Astounding as it seems, the Brexit party has claimed they will only share their manifesto after the EU elections. Until then we are supposed to be fobbed off with loaded words repeated on a loop: democracy, betrayal, the people’s will, WTO.

What is so tragic is that this simplistic mantra will certainly influence millions of Britons to conclude a no deal Brexit is actually a viable option, and that it won’t trigger an economic crisis in the UK to rival the 1930s.

Meanwhile, now that Theresa May has finally thrown in the towel on her political ambitions, the Conservative/DUP government is preparing for a leadership civil war. Whoever comes out on top, Johnson, Gove, Rudd, Hunt, will certainly support a ‘no deal’ exit in order to win the votes of the Tory grass roots. This prospect should make anyone sensible grow pale.

Sometimes I wonder what more harmonious nations across the world make of us Brits these days. What do they see on their TV news? Red-faced, aging men raging about sovereignty but unable to name a significant thing the EU did to make their lives worse.

People downtrodden by Conservative-Lib Dem austerity policies who turn on the safest, easiest of targets, the same targets they have been encouraged to vent their frustrations on by wealthy elites since the dawn of class-based societies: foreigners, people of a different religion, folk who happen to speak a different language (unless they’re Welsh), ‘others’ in general.

And what must they think of the ultra-Remainers? Folk unable to accept a referendum result they believe to be invalidated by lies, like the notorious £350 million for the NHS and the EU banning straight bananas? Wouldn’t those same people be howling if the 48:52 split had gone the other way and someone suggested a second referendum?

Yes, we have forgotten the best sides of the British national character in the Conservative Brexit debacle. Moderation, humour, consensus, healthy doses of irony, and – above all – tolerance.

It is not too late to return to common sense. After the EU elections, whoever wins or loses, it is time for politicians to seek national unity over division. The Labour leaders who tried to negotiate a soft Brexit that would both honour the referendum result and satisfy many of the concerns of Remainers deserve every credit.

At least their policy of compromise attempted to bring the country together, to find common ground where there is so much division. Personally, I respect their courage in advocating something necessary but unpopular.

Of course, Conservative party divisions and leadership ambitions torpedoed that hope. Perhaps it was always too idealistic. But when the results come in and the dust settles from tomorrow’s election we as a nation will face a profound choice. Whether to allow cynical, manipulative pro-establishment demagogues like Nigel Farage or Boris Johnson to sell us out to big business and unequal trade deals with ultra-capitalist nations like America, or whether we bring our nation together.

If that requires a second, confirmatory referendum on any Brexit deal, then so be it. Only one thing should be off the table: no deal. Let’s leave that fanatical policy to those unpatriotic people who hate a prosperous, green, modern, cosmopolitan, equal Britain with decent public services.

Above all, I believe it is time to take the anger out of politics. No doubt we have many, many reasons to be angry. Our NHS is being stealthily privatised, schools underfunded, councils stripped of resources, social care system in chaos. Climate change, the defining issue for our future, is being ignored by our feral, super-rich rulers. Millions of our citizens live in poverty, decent housing a dream for too many hard-working people.

But we will only address these problems through rational debate. Whichever way you swing tomorrow don’t vote angry. Vote for kindness, reason, consensus and tolerance.