The tiny joystick has been replaced by cellphone-like four-way control buttons, and the page-turn Forward and Back buttons, which flank both edges, are silent now, for the benefit of sleeping spouses.

The leave campaign argued during a bitter four-month referendum campaign that the only way Britain could "take back control" of its own affairs would be to leave the EU.

Yet another bail-out of the four big state-owned lenders (which control 60% of all banking assets) is now under way, following two unsuccessful efforts in 1998 and 1999.