John Bercow has spoken, now the government must get on with the job at hand

Editorial: In particular, MPs have the opportunity to consider putting the issue – the Johnson deal in essence – to the people via a Final Say referendum

Whatever the prime minister might have meant when he said he would rather “die in a ditch” than postpone Brexit on 31 October, a ditch is where he currently resides, in a state of some frustration. To adapt another well-known saying, he might consider whether he might now stop digging.

The mood of the House of Commons, a mood shared by a significant segment of the electorate, is to get on with Brexit by going through the actual legislation needed to “get Brexit done” by 31 October. Instead of bombarding the Commons with constant requests for an approval of the whole project without even reading a draft bill, the government should take the hint and get on with attempting to persuade the Commons to vote for the deal.

At that point, and not before, approval will be granted. Indeed, Sir Oliver Letwin and some who propose this route loudly support the Johnson deal. Others do not.

The Speaker, John Bercow, has rejected the motion of another meaningful vote two days after the last meaningful vote, and that really should be that. The moment has come for the Commons to get on with settling its view and, importantly, finding a path through the crisis.

In particular, MPs will now have the opportunity to consider putting the issue – the Johnson deal in essence – to the people via a Final Say referendum. That could be the Johnson deal as it stands or as amended to accommodate an EU-UK customs union – or if parliament ever ends up there, a no-deal Brexit. In other words, whatever MPs do manage to approve can be presented to the people for final approval.

As to adjusting the Johnson deal, there are, to be fair to the government, amendments that would wreck the deal and in any case be unworkable because it would be unacceptable to the European Union. Other amendments, frankly, might deliver Britain and the EU from the evil of no-deal Brexit but also from the purgatory of the current impasse. Continuing UK membership of the EU customs union or single market, or both, might well now command a majority in the House of Commons. Even so, the democratic imperative of a people’s vote remains. What was started by the people in June 2016 can only be concluded by the people.

The government is the one messing about and wasting time. It has done so with silly letters to the EU and by squandering valuable parliamentary time by failing to bring its own new EU withdrawal bill forward.

The longer it takes for the government to get on with the job, then the longer Brexit will take and the bigger the chance it will simply collapse under the weight of its own contradictions. The prime minister believes he has delivered a “fantastic” deal. Very well, but please may we see the full text, the full economic impact – and will Mr Johnson allow our MPs to vote on it?