THERE is a certain sad irony that the centenary of the start of the Battle of the Somme should coincide with the decision in our recent referendum for Britain to leave the European Union.

So what is the connection? In the years following the Second World War, some prominent French politicians, Jean Monnet and Robert Schuman, had some ideas about how to make wars between France and Germany, not only wasteful in loss of human life, but also unnecessary in terms of access to basic raw materials.

They led the way in setting up the European Coal and Steel Community. This provided France and West Germany duty-free access to the coal and iron ore resources required to make steel.

It was such a success that the concept was enlarged to cover other goods and services. It was joined by other European countries and in 1957 became the Common Market which was set up by the Treaty of Rome. Britain was invited to join but sadly refused.

The Common Market grew and evolved into the European Economic Community which Britain joined in 1973. This organisation continued to grow as other western European nations joined.

With the collapse of communism the states of eastern Europe also joined so creating eventually the European Union that we have today.

If more people had known the history as I have outlined above, perhaps they would not have voted as they did in the referendum.

One thing I hear often but fail to understand is the statement “I have got my country back”. I cannot think of one thing about the EU that has had any deleterious effect on my life. As I am now in my seventies I have lived in the EU, the EEC and the Common Market most of my life. The Second World War had a far greater impact on my life than the EU, EEC etc. But that is another story. I predict now that when Britain leaves the EU the effect will be such that in 10 or 15 years time we will crawl back in again.

J WRIGHT, Maiden Lane, Cherhill