If we are to have a long extension to Brexit, the idea of citizens’ assemblies, as advocated by Gordon Brown and others, is interesting.

Consisting of a representative forum of 99 randomly chosen citizens, deliberating on expert information presented by all sides, these have been successfully used in the Republic of Ireland.

Politicians are absent from the process, which is completely transparent and public.

This could allow real, non-partisan discussion of the underlying issues – not just the binary of remain or leave, but what different forms of leave might mean for people’s lives, or what changes within a remain framework might help address the multiple and complex issues which underlay the Brexit vote.

It could work as a genuine consultation on those issues, which have been so spectacularly ignored since 2016 as Westminster is overwhelmed by the impossible puzzle of Brexit.

And, as in Ireland, it could lead to draft legislation which springs from consensus, not party lines – and which could then be put to the people in a referendum.

Yes, it’s deeply frustrating that it’s taken three years to get to this point – and to understand that our party politics is simply not up to the job of sorting this out.

But surely another year would be worth it, if that offers us a means to start uniting our divided country – which neither Prime Minister Theresa May’s “blind Brexit” nor “no deal” will do.

K Purver

Blackawton