LETTER: MPs cop out for their own agenda

Votes: 17.4m leave v 16.1m remain

By Constituency: 406 leave v 242 remain

By Party: Labour 148 leave v 84 remain

Conservative 247 leave v 80 remain

By Region: Nine leave v three remain

By MP: 160 leave v 486 remain

I rest my case, in overall votes it may be a narrow majority but this is not that unusual these days. However, it was a democratic decision and that is something the EU just cannot stomach. It should look again at the terms on offer, it is not that difficult to allow exit from the backstop unilaterally and not be punished by the capitals of Europe just because they consider our decision politically unsound. Membership of this club in voluntary, as is the right to leave if necessary.

What the EU is secretly afraid of is a deregulated, low wage, low tax economy on their doorstep with which it has to compete, but is unable to do so, especially France.

As for those who insist we will be poorer, we can abolish tariffs through free trade of up to 20 per cent on clothes, footwear and food for the lowest paid and this represents a far bigger share of their income than those who are higher paid.

In reality, Mr Cameron asked for little, and should have been granted the concessions but now it looks costly for us all, like the bank bail-out, the Greece bail-out, the opening of the borders and the potential destruction of the car industry and others.

It is the EU’s intransigence for less bureaucracy that fell on deaf ears as has been the case for years. Surely this was the time for reform that others also wish for, except for the self-seeking EU commissioners who prefer to gamble with EU unity. They should be focused on jobs, growth and further development of the single market. Instead they prefer to count the cost of the UK exit, 15m Euros of UK money will be lost. For some countries this is the real cost and they will have to cut their cloth accordingly, but not the EU fat cats, for them the gravy train rolls on.  

It is clear the EU will not reform from within regardless of what is said to the contrary. It cannot continue as is, but there is no strategy for reform or growth or any attempt to secure the borders and all these actions have been required for years.

There is no wonder we feel as we do and that Brexit is a reflection of how bad the EU has been for this country and, rather than look to maintain a sensible amicable working relationship with the UK the attitude of the EU towards the UK was reflected in an early statement from lead negotiator Barnier who said: “My mission will have been a success when the terms are so brutal for the British that they prefer to stay in the EU.” On those terms Mr Barnier, no thanks we are off.

Allen Cowles, Sitwell Ward