I DIDN’T follow the results of the referendum vote particularly closely because, in my own mind, few would vote to leave the EU. It came as a shock to find that so many wished to leave but what was particularly worrying was that a number of MPs voted leave. What were they hoping to gain?

Some of the public said that we Britain had been great, but that was in the days of an empire which gave us a large trading market, and the empire couldn’t last forever, with many of the colonies calling for independence. The emergence of the EU gave us the chance to become part of a trading bloc closer to home, and thus, a better chance to compete with other blocs like the USA, China, India and Brazil. The EU also allowed members of the bloc to travel freely between member countries, making war in Europe less likely to occur again.

Looking back, it seemed to me that the last time Europe wasn’t at war with itself was during the reign of the Danish king Canute who ruled over a large part of northern Europe which brought about a period of peace and prosperity.

One worrying outcome, following the vote, was the attacks on other Europeans, particularly those from Poland. It seems that some have short memories because it was in the dark days of the Second World War that many Polish military personnel came to this country to help fight Hitler, in particular their skilled airmen who helped to overcome the shortage of pilots during the battle of Britain.

DERRICK HOLT

Fortnam Close

Headington

Oxford