AT the weekend thousands descended on the capital to take part in the People’s Vote march, including coaches from Worcester.

Councillor Louis Stephen was among them, tweeting “Government is making a mess of Brexit. Let the people decide if the final deal is good enough.”

My view on Brexit will be familiar to regular readers of my column so I won't go over it again, but all you need to know is I do now support leaving the EU.

However, I’ve also been highly critical of the government’s shambolic handling of the negotiations, so I can agree with Cllr Stephen on that.

As for calls for a second referendum, that time has passed. A People’s Vote, whatever you call it, just isn’t going to happen - we are leaving whatever happen.

So right now it is all about ensuring the government doesn’t mess up negotiations so badly that we don't get to enjoy the benefits of leaving. A bad exit for example could lead to mass job losses, and obviously no one wants that.

That all being said what I hated was the ridiculing of the protest. Debate is fine, but looking at the threads on social media about the march, many ended up rapidly descending into name calling abuse, featuring the usual "snowflakes and cry babies" rubbish.

Why does it all have to be so divisive and hostel?

I may disagree with People’s Vote supporters but I fully respect their right to protest and air their views. Protests are a key part of our democracy, and the views of 700,000 people on the streets should be respected.

If we have any chance of bringing the country together and moving on after this Brexit dominated period since the 2016 referendum, we need to get away from the anger and abuse.

Tags like remainer and Brexiteer should not be focused on - they are just a catalyst for the anger.

Taking sides and then abusing anyone with a different view is simply a time-wasting exercise, and results in people being put off politics.

I hear so many people saying: ‘I’m bored of hearing about Brexit, I don’t care anymore’ - and just switch off.

The danger is that leads to people taking their eye off the ball, not being engaged, and the government are not properly held to account at this crucial time in the negotiations.