Britons will vote on whether to sever our relationship with Brussels

Today Dutch opponents to the deal warned Eurocrats that railroading through the deal against their wishes would almost certainly spark a Brexit, as well as intensifying calls for a similar referendum on EU membership in Holland. 

Thierry Baudet, one of the campaigners who were instrumental in bringing about the referendum, said: "If politicians ignore the Dutch 'no' then it will be an even stronger signal than what the British have already received - that there is no way to correct the European political class and that they should vote to leave."

Noises have already begun to emanate from the Europhile Dutch government and Brussels that the referendum is not legally binding. 

But Holland's parliament is governed by an unstable coalition with a slim majority, which may find it increasingly hard to go against the wishes of its own people on Europe.