REPORTING ON Brexit has never been easy, given that it is an issue that almost perfectly divides the nation between those that believe it is a long overdue great escape for the UK economy, and those who are convinced, with equal passion, that it will lead to the downfall of Britain as an outward looking, modern society.

But now, as we approach the longest day, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson decides to play dirty by suspending the Westminster Parliament and sticking das boot into the MPs who were hoping to block a no-deal Brexit, we've crossed the thin red line, there's a gathering storm, and we could face a farming apocalypse now.

There are no prizes for spotting the war movie titles scattered through those paragraphs, nor any apology for the atmosphere they evoke, as self-confessed Winston Churchill fan Mr Johnson is without doubt seeking to use that same simple wartime spirit of seizing triumph from the jaws of defeat to energise a British electorate who are entirely numbed by the detail of leaving the European Union, and just want somebody to make the whole subject go away.

Assuming that his endgame is a snap general election, producing a new Conservative government with a big enough majority to do what it wants, in very quick succession we could see a trade deal with the United States and with it a very different attitude to agri-chemicals and biotechnology; an open door to imports from South America's smouldering meat sector; and most likely a protracted and awkward huff from our former partners and customers just across the English Channel.

Will it be an escape to victory? Or are we on the verge of our darkest hour? It doesn't seem that we have much choice but to wait and see how this period of British history is depicted in the movies that have yet to be made.