This world is full of second rate politicians

YOU publish many letters on the subject of Brexit including a recent excellent one from Mr Mercer of Tavistock. May I add a few thoughts to his contribution, and at the same time comment on the earlier winging of Michael Warne, who comes across as a disappointed Liberal Democrat lawyer, firstly because he would prefer to be ruled by a gang of questionable competence for whom we do not vote (the Commission), we cannot sack, and who numerically will always outvote us.

AS one of the majority who voted in this country, I voted to be governed by a gang of questionable competence who do not suffer from any of those drawbacks.

Secondly, the plethora of complex laws and regulations invented by the EU provide an endless wellremunerated field of activity for lawyers. Can you imagine a UK administration, however poor it might be, turning away a lorry load of goods because the paperwork was completed in the wrong coloured ink, or the lorry that could not proceed because the driver did not have an export licence for the sandwich he had in the cab, or even requiring, we are told, 20 bits of paper to take a horse to the EU for a competition.

The whole world, it seems to me, is currently suffering from a glut of second rate politicians and even worse civil servant leaders. Those who wish we were still in the EU and are even now saying they will take us back in (would they accept us?) might benefit from a brief study of European politics and history. Since the Romans withdrew, the nations of Europe have endlessly been at one another’s throats up until the mid 20th century.

There has been a long stream of kings, dukes, archdukes, popes and chancers all fighting for a bit of real estate, a teenage bride with a useful inheritance, or the chance to get back at someone who insulted or walloped their uncle/brother/sister or honour.

The 20th century provided too much evidence and dead British citizens trying to bring these incompetent people to their senses for us not to be a little wary of the future.

Happily, the last 70 years has given the impression that at last things might be better but then the Treaty of Versailles gave us that impression at the end of World War One, but there is a train of thought that the level of sanctions and humiliation heaped upon the German race, principally by the French, gave rise to resentment, which in turn lead to the rise of a nationalism, which was truly horrific in its consequences.

And now Napoleon Macron wants to form an EU military force; that would give rise to a few squabbles about who was in charge of it probably eventually leading to a a general from Liechtenstein.

I am sure he would be a very nice man but he might not have a sufficient level of combat experience and anyway, he would have to do what France and Germany told him to do – providing it was written in the right coloured ink.

C H White Tavistock, Devon