UK cannot call the shots

Sir, – Correspondent Iain G Richmond (Letters, October 2) mistakenly suggests that the EU is more dependent on the UK than we are on it.

Like his co-believers he also forgets that the vote to leave was achieved by the massive number of discontented people south of the border rather than a united vote tabled by all the so-called “equal partners” in the union.

To remind him, Scotland, Northern Ireland and London all returned majorities to remain.

Migrants taking UK jobs was quoted as a compelling reason for voting to go and yet there was a businessman from Corby who confirmed on TV that he has a substantial number of job vacancies which he has been unable to fill for a long time because UK workers refuse to apply.

He concludes his diatribe by harking back to the glorious days of empire when Britain rode roughshod over countries to obtain the goods and services it required by force of arms without recourse to fair trade deals.

Britain’s prosperity of the Victorian era was achieved by slapping tariffs on vassal nations for the privilege of trading with us.

The architects of Brexit are those who like being in charge and have long resented the UK just being a small voice around a table which seats 28 and are arrogantly overlooking the fact that leaving the EU to pursue world wide trade will find themselves trying to sweet talk countries which were badly treated by them in the past and could readily use the current situation as pay back time.

Allan A MacDougall. 37 Forth Park, Bridge of Allan.

Britain’s prosperity of the Victorian era was achieved by slapping tariffs on vassal nations for the privilege of trading with us