Brexiteers understood that they were voting to leave the single market

SIR – Christopher Booker (The Last Word, June 10) claims that leaving the single market was never an issue in the referendum, and that it is a “deceitful myth” to say that, in voting to leave the EU, we voted to leave the single market.

On the contrary, the relationship between the two things was a commonplace of Remain rhetoric during the campaign and a key component of Project Fear. The government booklet circulated to every home two months before the vote spelt out clearly that leaving the EU meant leaving the single market. Among several statements to the same effect it said: “Remaining inside the EU guarantees our full access to its single market. By contrast, leaving creates uncertainty and risk.”

Neither I nor (I imagine) the vast majority of the electorate, whether pro-EU or anti-EU, ever doubted that a vote to leave was a vote to leave the single market, and I cannot recall Mr Booker himself, in his many articles before the vote, suggesting otherwise. He may have changed his views, but he shouldn’t misrepresent a history which is so fresh in everyone’s minds. Martin R Maloney London N3 SIR – Tom McAlpin (Letters, June 10) believes that the small margin that decided the referendum result was not sufficient to move the country into unknown territory, and so we deserve another vote.

In the event of the Conservative Party winning the next general election by the same margin, would he demand another vote? I suggest he would not. Most probably he would consider it an example of democracy working. Yet it is that very democracy that he and his fellow Remainers are unable to accept.

Democracy is not a matter of holding another vote until one gets the answer one wants. It is a matter of simply accepting the result of the first vote. Simon Bathurst Brown

Camberley, Surrey SIR – I would support the appeal by Iain Duncan Smith and Amber Rudd (Comment, June 10) for Conservative MPs to unite behind their leader – if only the leader knew where she was going. However, there is no evidence that she does – and, even if she does, it might prove to be in the wrong direction.

The Conservative Party needs to bite the bullet now and appoint a new leader with genuine leadership qualities before it is too late and we are saddled with an unsatisfactory Brexit deal.

Time is running out. Who should the replacement be? Sajid Javid, perhaps? A difficult choice.

A much easier measure would be to replace David Davis, our hitherto ineffective Brexit negotiator, immediately. Jacob Rees-Mogg, with his single-minded clarity of vision, is better suited to dealing with intransigent EU negotiators. It is not too late. Anthony Bates

Axbridge, Somerset