Selfish referendum

The result, having been 51.95 per cent for leaving the EU and 48.1 per cent for staying obviously is therefore clearly unacceptable to Mr. Gray.

I trust he has signed the petition for a second referendum and that he will make his position clear in Parliament. I am sure he will agree that a mandate to go to war based on such figures would also be quite unacceptable.

The referendum was a silly, selfish idea by a now resigned Prime Minister, an attempt to control a disunited Conservative Party with scant concerns for the, at present, United Kingdom. That the present government got in by 37 per cent makes a mockery of the situation.

The referendum, for example, caused a protest vote in Wales at least part triggered by the failure of successive governments to honour pledges to provide new industries and training in the recent past, following the closure of mines, now adding the lack of real support for the steel industry beyond a suggestion that cutting pensions would make finding a buyer to replace Tata easier. (Harold Wilson, more astute, kept well out of his referendum. In Atlee’s opinion referendums were “a tool for demagogues.”) I doubt that France would mirror the lack of support for its steel in similar circumstances. I do believe that many exit voters are now having second thoughts. They were sadly misled by incorrect information into having to make a decision difficult, if not impossible, for most of us.

Enoch Powell also spoke against the Common Market, as did UKIP’s Julia Read against EU membership in your paper last week. At least she can take comfort in her financial loss as an MEP in that the tobacco company she mentioned at the exit meeting in Calne Town Hall (January 24 last) may now presumably sell high tar cigarettes to Arab countries – and Europe. A tip for Dr Reid might be to buy some shares....

JAMES SAXTON, Zander Road, Calne