From Ellison J. White, Bembridge:

On June 5, 1975, over two-thirds of the electorate voted to support continued EC membership and committed Britain to playing an active, constructive and enthusiastic role in a united Europe for the next 41years.

Following the membership referendum on June 23, 2016, the UK voted 51.9 per cent to 48.1 per cent to leave the European Union.

I, like many of the Islanders — over 67 per cent, voted to leave the EU. We wanted the UK to regain control of its own affairs, legislature and borders and not be manipulated by “Johnny Foreigner” from their ivory tower in EU headquarters in Brussels

My wife and I are not anti-European. We both believe in the principal of having a strong Europe but comprised of a loose federation of member states able to retain their regional identity and customs and make their own rules and legislation.

When I voted for Britain’s continued membership of the EU in 1975, what I did not vote for was for Britain to become part of a Federal United States of Europe controlled and managed by unelected bureaucrats in Brussels. Time to leave.

Common myths about the EU:

  • The EU sells a lot more to us than we sell to them. In 2011 there was a trade deficit of nearly £50 billion. They have a lot more to lose than we do.
  • The EU now exempts many goods and services from duties so the EU is basically redundant as a customs union with tariff walls.
  • The largest investor in the UK is not even an EU country, but the US.
  •  EU membership has had a negative effect on British industries such as fishing, farming, postal services and manufacturing and costs the UK billions of pounds in net contributions each year.

Since the membership referendum in June 2016, the media has reported in detail all the arguments and counter arguments, Leave versus Remain to the point of saturation. I, as I’m sure the majority of the British electorate, are totally fed up with hearing about the process.  I have got to the point where I no longer read about Brexit in our daily newspapers and when reported on TV, I either turn to a different channel, turn the volume down or switch the telly off.

Politicians from all the main political parties are behaving like delinquent children. Brexit means Brexit. The British people have spoken, this is how democracy works.

This then raises the issue of which political  party I will vote for in the next General Election. At the moment none are worthy of receiving my vote.

Maybe I will consider voting for the Monster Raving Loony Party “Vote for Insanity” — they can’t be any worse than what we have at the moment.