Will Brexit really save Britain’s sovereignty?

I CAN see where Michael Gove and Boris Johnson are coming from when they talk of sovereignty. This wasn’t fully explained or understood when the original decision was taken to join the Common Market. Joining has eroded the power of our elected Government and our border controls to bureaucrats in Brussels. Our Government has handed over increasing amounts of taxpayers’ money to the EU and seen excessive salaries and expenses paid to MEPs. I cannot even name my MEP and have never heard from him/her. Since Tony Blair opened our borders, I’ve witnessed the erosion of our beautiful British way of life. Greed pervades Westminster, business and commerce leaders, while education, the NHS, pay, benefits and pensions are all in shambles. I will vote to leave and hope we cultivate leaders who aren’t solely interested in money, but have the backbone to steer this country back to prominence in the world.

Name and address supplied. THE argument by Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage, Michael Gove and fellow ‘Brexiters’ that our independence from the EU will see our full sovereignty restored is naïve. It isn’t a case of being sovereign or not sovereign. If a country refuses to pool sovereignty, it in fact ends up with potentially less sovereignty, as it has limited control over trading arrangements, pollution, the cleanliness of its seas, migration, terrorism, etc. The UK partakes in about 700 international treaties and is a member of international organisations, including the UN, WTO, Nato and the IMF. In doing so, we share our sovereignty, but through this approach we have influence and maximise our effectiveness. As a member of the European Economic Area, Norway is the tenth largest contributor to the EU budget and is bound by the rules of the single market without any say in its decision-making. Many Brexiters would like to follow the Norwegian model, but Oslo has to adhere to all the EU’s product standards, financial and employment regulations, enacting most EU legislative acts. There’s only one nation I can think of which is truly sovereign — North Korea.

ALEX ORR, Edinburgh.