It's a spectrum, obviously, but a shade of popular opinion exists along an axis from left to right.
From socialism to capitalism.
From state control to personal freedom.
From we're all in this together to every man for himself.
Our main parties political parties reflect this divide.
But the referendum has divided up the same population in a very different way. I'm not entirely certain what the label on this vertical scale ought to be.
From old to young?
From poor to rich?
From precarious to secure?
From overlooked to privileged?
From unenlightened to educated?
From proud to pragmatist?
From emotional to rational?
From risk to caution?
From what the hell to better not?
Or some combination of the above?
Our main parties do not reflect this new divide, and are in turmoil.
A remain-friendly Labour party has alienated many of its core supporters.
Torn between principle and electability, it faces stalemate or oblivion.
A victorious Brexit Tory party no longer speaks for all its members.
The old guard has been displaced by a coup spun with lies to further careers.
Our two main parties may be pulled apart through discord and disagreement.
If an early general election is called, this disintegration will only accelerate.
There is a void into which new, differently targeted, parties could advance.
Horizontal rather than vertical.
Pink and purple, rather than red and blue.
UKIP stands ready to be one of these, hoovering up the votes of disaffected Leave supporters.
The Lib Dems probably aren't going to be the other, throwing an EU-friendly lifebelt to Remain.
Is this where our traditional politics fractures and a new alignment takes over?
Will anyone stand up to unite us in new and very different ways?
And would that even be a good thing?
Or will our existing parties limp on through outdated contradiction, and take us down?
