Not a surprise

Now that we are leaving the EU, disappointed Remainers are casting about for an “explanation” for that decision. They have blamed the older generation, accusing them of racism. They have accused Leave campaigners of misinformation and overspending. All the accusations reek of sour grapes.

The simple truth is that the people of the UK were never much interested in the EU. Voter turnout in EU elections was usually around 35 per cent. By comparison, the 19182017 average for UK general elections stands at 73 per cent. Most people in the UK did not care enough about the EU to bother voting. Likewise, survey after survey showed that the vast majority did not know who their MEP was (sometimes as high as 90 per cent).

Which UK party had the highest number of MEPS in the 2014 EU elections? UKIP, the party advocating withdrawal from the EU. It took 33 per cent of the seats, ahead of either Labour or the Conservatives. It had risen steadily since its formation in 1991 and its Eurosceptic views clearly struck a chord with the voters.

A decisive time in the relationship between the UK and the EU was at the end of the 1990s. The UK was under great pressure to join the euro. chancellor Gordon Brown resisted that pressure and the UK retained its own currency, the pound. dire warnings from the pro-eu camp of economic disaster if we did not join the euro proved empty threats.

In the light of the above facts, the decision to Leave in 2016 should not have come as a surprise. The signs were there. Of course, whether that decision will be carried out or thwarted remains to be seen.

LES REID Morton Street, Edinburgh