Yes, Britain is on the brink of chaos – but don’t forget that we’ve been here before

Without taking any sides, the 1970s and 1980s witnessed a level of political and industrial violence that people need to be reminded of today

The outbreak of unruly and threatening behaviour in Westminster – and I do not minimise the nastiness or the menace of the activities of “protesters” screaming obscenities – proves, were proof needed, that “demons” were indeed released during the 2016 EU referendum. The assassination of Labour MP Jo Cox by a far-right terrorist during that very campaign should have served as an omen of what might follow.

So it has come to pass – incited by the incessant violent, incendiary language used in some newspapers. From the insults lobbed around outside parliament at the likes of Anna Soubry, to outright terror plots aimed at murdering Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May, all are clearly dangerous developments.

Yet we do need to regain some sense of perspective. Not so long ago in our history, terror attacks were routine in London and elsewhere in the UK. In Northern Ireland, the Troubles were a way of life. The rule of law ceased to operate in parts of the province (and the police were not always reliable anyhow).