I suspect we could have had a "consensus" Brexit months ago, and most of the country would have accepted it. But that was not "Brexity" enough for a minority, the likes of the ERG. Hence we are where we are, and we are either going to get an extreme form of Brexit, quite possibly "no deal" or Brexit will be cancelled. And either will piss off at least a very substantial majority of the public. That's where we are.
Referenda should never, ever, be offered for complex issues like this. If you want one to name a ship or decide what colour dress the Queen should wear, or even what the National Anthem should be - fine. These are matters everyone can understand and it doesn't actually matter anyway. Membership of the EU is so complex I doubt 2% of the population fully understand the implications. You might as well offer a vote on how to operate on someone's brain.