In one of the great ambushes of history, British negotiators found that membership would involve an invasion of our waters by foreign fishermen, which meant years of disaster.
While refusing to say it out loud, the Prime Minister clearly thinks Brexit has been a disaster and that he possesses both the ability and charisma to fix it.
Fanatics never give up. They are so convinced that they are right and good, and that everyone else is wrong and bad, that a mere Supreme Court ruling against them barely gives them pause.
You've got to hand it to Rachel Reeves. Despite her lamentable Spring Statement being savaged across the political spectrum, the Chancellor is putting a brave face on it.