London: Divorce is a nasty thing. It’s bitter and divisive and love is lost, assets split, and households wrenched asunder.

Right now, Britain has said it has had enough of a 43-year relationship with Europe, and it’s on its way out. Literally, it’s packing its bags and says that it’s filing for divorce.

The love affair with Europe was always an unsteady relationship. When Britain hooked up with Europe, it was a relationship of convenience. Europe was young, was beginning to blossom, was developing in the form of a European Economic Community — friends with benefits, if you like. And Britain did like access to markets, French lambs, German technology, Italian cars — all tariff-free.

That was a decision taken by Sir Edward Heath in 1973. He never married, but understood the benefit of being wrapped up in a long-term relationship. And when he lost the subsequent general election, it was Prime Minister Harold Wilson who proposed a formal marriage — a vote on the decision to hook up with Brussels.

In 1975, that marriage was solemnised, with two-thirds of British voters liking the way things were going, saw a bright future, and wanted to make it permanent. A public display of affection of the ties across the Channel.

But as in any marriage, things don’t always go the way it’s supposed to be. Harsh words of Eurosceptics and a growing sense that the marriage wasn’t exactly working for Britain. It was increasingly uneasy with the laws coming from Europe, the rules about what could be done were changing, and that wasn’t quite what it wanted in a long-term relationship.

There were issues. Brussels was getting a bit too bossy. The whole money thing was a bit of a muddle, and the comings and goings of millions of immigration wasn’t something that Britain wanted when it entered the marriage. And this openness wasn’t working with insular nature and characteristic of British society.

The family gatherings in Brussels too were becoming a bit too noisy and fractious. The Greek cousins just wanted to borrow money again and again, the German aunt was becoming too bossy and wanted to tell all of the family members what to do — like a mother-in-law that you just can’t stand — and the French were prepared to let anyone and everyone crash the party. Plus there’s the prospect that the Turkish neighbours you can’t stand would be let in. And they’re Muslims, and you don’t really want to think of the prospect of them coming to visit and stay in your backyard.

So David Cameron said fine, let’s see if you want to leave, go if you dare.

Sure enough, 52 per cent of Brits gathered their things, packed their suitcases and walked, slamming the door in a manner that’s heard all across Europe.

Now that the split has happened, the divorce proceedings over the next two years will be nasty. And given that Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to Remain, there’s a custody issue that will need to be worked out.

Yep, divorce is a nasty business.