'People knew what they voted for when they backed Brexit'
The charge made by Michael Cliff on your letters page of December 8th is the most recent in a long line of pro remain contributions from this gentleman. In this latest contribution it is claimed that facts were suppressed during the campaign that led to the referendum. To simply correct this the then PM David Cameron made crystal clear what a vote to leave meant both verbally and in his expensive threatening leaflet sent to every voter.
It is my recollection that the remain campaign majored on bold nonsensical claims as to the impact of a vote to leave the EU. They even went so far as to assert that these dire consequences would happen immediately, note immediately, if we voted to leave. Did it? Of course not, perhaps Mr Cliff might give us his take as to why?
On immigration the leave side did not skew the debate one bit. The fact is that if Mr Cliff cares to glance back at every single poll of voter opinion for years since EU enlargement he will see immigration tops the table of voter concerns. Hardly a surprise given the rise to a net positive migration figure of 300k plus per year! Such levels of immigration were never promised indeed Blair told us that enlargement would hike the numbers coming from the EU to no more than 12k per year, a complete and utter nonsense.
Immigration stresses services and changes communities rapidly, it is a government's duty to plan for and manage such change, successive governments have failed the British people on this, it is time to demand this ends.
The European Union is a collectivist model, it is anti-democratic and protectionist by its nature. The British people knew full well what they were voting for and against, the leaders of the Leave campaign were quite specific on both single market and customs union which are the key issues impacting our trade and wider economic performance.
Those who believe our economic prospects are damaged by Brexit are also, in my view, wrong. The ability to control our own economic and regulatory policy to end tariffs cannot be understated. As always governments and their policies will determine how successful we are. Put plainly if we are insane enough to adopt a command and central planning economic model or close to it, we will be less wealthy not more. Mr Corbyn and his policies are the single biggest threat to our economic future, not Brexit, that is the opportunity.
The socialist assumption that you can spend what you do not first produce is the gravest of errors. It results in mounting debt, unsound money and falling real incomes. It will mean far less available to invest in public services and necessitate cripplingly high taxes on income and spending across the income distribution. There is one message for the Government and it is simply ‘Get on with Brexit take back control!’
Martin Bristow
Wolverhampton
