IT FEELS like it has been a never-ending saga.

Or is a “never-ending nightmare” a more apt description?

In little more than a month, the country is set to leave the European Union, and only now does it seem that our politicians are facing up to this fact.

Former Brighton and Hove mayor Anne Meadows has joined the Tories, tilting the balance of the city council, while the defection of MPs has changed the numbers in Parliament.

Yet it appears that politicians on all sides have presided over a mess, putting their own party interests first.

To many it will feel like little effort has been made to build a cross party consensus over the past two-and-a-half years.

Politicians have either ploughed on regardless, or buried their head in the sand and not risen to the occasion.

No effort seems to have been made to bridge the gulf between leave voters and remain voters to find a solution.

After all, voters from different parties voted in different ways, and there were many who had never voted for any party before who made their voice heard in the referendum.

The risk we therefore face is that, whatever the final outcome, nearly half the country will end up feeling betrayed.

Brighton MP Caroline Lucas is hosting an event today under the banner of People’s Voice. It is open to all, and perhaps will be a timely intervention.

Regardless of people’s views as to what should happen next, we need to have a national conversation with each other and our politicians. And we need to listen.