I read somewhere that Robert Schumann, recovering from madness, suddenly found he could write music again, and so got down to his piano, completing a couple of new pieces. His wife and admirers were chuffed at the thought of the old Schumann back, and eagerly looked through the new scores; only to find that they weren’t new at all, but pieces he’d written and published years before, and then forgotten about. Sad. 

I’ve just had a similar experience. Today I received – at last – a copy of my Britain Before Brexit, and leafed through it, as proud new authors do; only to find that I’ve already said there much of what I’m writing now, in my new book, A Patriot’s Guide to British History. I’d forgotten, too. Probably my age. Anyway, it means I may not need to continue with A Patriot’s Guide. I’ll ask my publisher what she thinks.

I can’t remember going mad in the meantime. I’ve never voted Conservative, for example. But friends will tell me.