Not all of us want to be a part of the Brexiteers’ ideological daydream – that’s why the public deserves a say

As the dust settles from the latest round of cabinet in-fighting and chaos, it will be confirmed for certain there is no such thing as a good Brexit deal. I believe that Theresa May is going to end up with a botched Brexit that will satisfy no one and make sure that calls for a people’s vote on the final Brexit deal will only get louder. That is why today’s news that The Independent is backing a referendum on the final deal is a major turning point in the campaign.

More and more people – Leavers and Remainers – from every region, every political party and every walk of life, are demanding a vote on the final Brexit deal before we leave the EU.

Usually The Independent is a barometer for people in the political centre ground, committed to social justice and opportunity for all. The paper has a proud history of campaigning on issues that matter to liberals like me.

Its clarion voice, added to the campaign for a vote on the final Brexit deal, shows that, although people voted for departure, they did not vote for the destination. To me, this is proof of the swelling momentum behind our campaign.

Compare our side of the debate to the European Research Group, the political equivalent of the flat earth society.

The cabal round Jacob Rees-Mogg seem to be running the country from the back seat of the Tory car. I think it is time to take back the wheel and make sure what started with democracy does not end in a stitch up.

Each and every day, news items highlight just how desperately the government is scrambling around at the eleventh hour to cobble together a promise to try and hold their divided party together. The prime minister is stuck between the devil and the DUP.

Everyone who cares about our country and our future should now channel their anger and frustration into demanding our MPs and political leaders reject this botched Brexit process and let every British citizen have the democratic right for a people’s vote on the final deal.

Sadly what was dismissed as “project fear” has now become project near: we stare down the barrel of a new Brexit deal that threatens to grind our country to a juddering halt as we run out of medicine, petrol and food.

This isn’t coming from doom-mongers. We’re talking about the conclusions of a Brexit department that apparently kept their Brexit “doomsday” memo locked in David Davis’ safe – a department run by Leave-voting ministers.

Meanwhile, ERG MPs walk around parliament with grins like Cheshire cats. But while they seem to have delivered their ideological wet dream, they are driving the country over a cliff like Thelma and Louise.

My party, the Liberal Democrats, has long campaigned for a vote on the final deal. Best for Britain, the organisation I support, is campaigning hard to make that happen too. We must do this for future generations – the government are mishandling the biggest issue to face the country in modern times. We must get a grip of what has become a national disaster.

Whether you voted Leave or Remain two years ago, no one voted for the broken promises, spiralling divorce bills and political chaos that this botched Brexit has become.

I believe that Brexit, whether it’s a bad deal or no deal, is a big deal – too big for anyone to ignore – but it’s not a done deal. The only way to sort this mess out is to let the public take back control of Brexit with a referendum on the final deal.

Layla Moran is Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon