Hoodwinked by rock-hard Brexit

■ I COULDN’T agree more with Kevin Maguire that the Brexit “elephant” is making a comeback (Nov 21). The British public realises our EU departure has been a costly and time-consuming mistake.

If there was a referendum tomorrow the result would be vastly different to that of 2016. People know they were hoodwinked into a rock-hard deal which hasn’t delivered the goods, or if it has they are far more costly.

Of course the pandemic and the ghastly war in Ukraine could not have been foreseen, but the result of Brexit was on the cards before the half-baked deal was signed. Naturally, leading Brexiteers are hysterical that nothing must be allowed to dilute their hard Brexit but Kevin is bang-on – our future lies with the EU and anyone who says differently should wake up and smell the coffee.

Judith A Daniels Great Yarmouth, Norfolk

■ As Kevin Maguire says in his excellent piece on the silence of the main political parties about the negative aspects of Brexit, the price in pure economic costs is around £80billion plus. The promised £350million a week for the NHS and host of other supposed benefits are startling in their absence. Indeed, I cannot think of one thing that has improved as a result of leaving the EU. Who would have thought that to leave the membership of the largest trading bloc on the planet, one of which you were a valued and influential member, would have had such disastrous consequences for the UK economy? The silence of those who pushed these lies is shameful.

Paul Greaves Mexborough, South Yorks

■ Boris Johnson used a slogan on a red bus to imply there’d be more money for the NHS if we left the EU. There isn’t. Nigel Farage displayed a poster with a queue of refugees with the implication that there would be fewer people coming to the UK. This wasn’t even relevant to our EU membership. Jacob Rees-Mogg said things would be cheaper. Once again nonsense.

Ordinary people are in no way better off since Brexit. Twentyseven countries are in the mutually beneficial EU with at least six others eager to join. Make of that what you will.

Clive Osman, Nuneaton, Warks

■ It’s about time we took stock of the Brexit situation. Would we be in such dire straits regarding inflation and staff shortages in the NHS and social care if it wasn’t for Brexit? What happened to the millions we were promised would be saved? Are we now governed by a better set of laws than the European courts? Would the Scots still be asking for a second independence referendum? I think we know the answer.

G Williams, Tuffley, Glos

■ We’ve had the biggest hike in energy prices in Europe made worse now we have left the single European energy market. We can’t get people to pick our fruit and are no longer protected by the EU laws that cleaned up our rivers and seas. So-called “Project Fear” is coming true before our eyes. Brexit is a disaster for this country, built on false promises and lies.

Kevin Sullivan, Swansea

■ Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says Brexit is delivering “enormous benefits” (Mirror, November 22). I wonder if Mr Sunak could list some of these benefits as it is not my experience. I am, however, more than willing to be corrected.

Gerry Scales Bromley, Greater London