This means that, at a minimum, Johnson will spend weeks assuring voters that the institutions of politics are rigged against them. The true voice of the people was expressed through the referendum, he will bluster; self-serving snobs in Parliament are out to smother it. The legitimacy of the courts will be called into question. Just before its recent suspension, Parliament passed a law requiring Johnson to seek an extension to the Brexit deadline; the prime minister’s first reaction was that the law could be flouted. As soon as the Scottish court ruled against Parliament’s suspension on Wednesday, an unnamed source from the Johnson team insinuated that a ruling in Scotland might be illegitimate.

Until now, Britain has been blessed by a faith in public institutions that allowed it to mix a vibrant private sector with a more or less effective state. The courts, Parliament and the impressively nonpartisan civil service have enjoyed popular deference; not coincidentally, Britain has a sharp tech sector, good public transport and universal health care. The coming Johnson campaign will do its best to degrade this precious social capital. Again, Britain will grow more like the United States, where years of political campaigns questioning the legitimacy and efficacy of government have generated cynicism and gridlock — a self-fulfilling prophesy.

Then there is the question of what happens after the election.