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Not looking good...

When the anti-Europeans trumpeted their marginal majority in the ‘consultative’ referendum, their main trade argument was a new, thrusting trading future outside of Europe.

They said endlessly that exports would grow faster outside Europe when we had ‘cast off the shackles’ of our EU membership. Whilst pretty much everyone in business understood how nonsensical this was, on they went.

Well Des Morgan, who is sensible on all things but naive and blinkered on this issue, should take a look at present performance.

Since Brexit we have had a 30% reduction in the value of the pound, raising fuel prices and the cost of food for all families but arguably making our exports one third more competitive.

Despite this in the first six months, manufacturing recorded its second consecutive quarter of negative growth - officially a manufacturing recession - with output falling 1%. Current numbers show the UK becoming more reliant on the EU for trade rather than less.

Having spent a lifetime in manufacturing and international exporting, I know just how easy it is to trade with Europe and how really difficult it is to sell to India, China, Brazil etc.

Since the referendum the Department of International Trade has ballooned with additional civil servants, agency and consultants and including DEFRA and HMRC, the bill for this little lot is more than £2 billion per annum (which I don’t remember Boris mentioning but perhaps I missed it).

In my experience civil servants do next to nothing to promote international trade beyond the export credit guarantee scheme.

Brexiteers cannot understand this simple fact, but the easiest people to sell to are our near neighbours, with cheap transport links and a level playing field in terms of standards and social norms and to even risk alienating 40 years of European friendship and cooperation is madness.

Jacob Rees Mogg and his friends will not suffer in this (he is quietly moving his business interests into the EU) and even him with his double breasted suit and his Nostradamus hat has stated it could be 50 years until we begin to see any benefit!

Well Mr Rees Mogg, if we are now facing 49 years of decline and stagnation, let’s hope for all our sakes that you have got this right from 2068 on… although frankly I very much doubt it!

John Stooke, Haydon End

It’s a Mad Max world

Have we reached a watershed moment with Brexit? Polls are showing that may be the case.

In 2003, polls showed overwhelmingly Britain favoured going to war in Iraq until it was realised there were no weapons of mass destruction, just a dodgy dossier.

Nothing has felt right since the referendum; politicians purposely misleading with whopping lies, decrying experts and an MP brutally murdered by a Britain First member.

Subsequently, political players continually play musical chairs and it’s difficult to assess where the truth lies.

The Government is contingency planning for stockpiling food and medicine but actually we shouldn’t worry because it’s just project fear. I personally feel like I’m strapped into a rollercoaster, unsure if I’ll end up in a Mad Max dystopian world or water chute.

Parliament voted to go war having assessed all documentation held by Tony Blair.

However, with Brexit there has been no Parliamentary decision, the PM made the decision with no due diligence, merely the result of the referendum.

Recently the Electoral Commission reported that Vote Leave broke the law and has referred the matter to the police. Data harvested by Facebook was sold to a Russian company and people were targeted with hugely misleading adverts, all paid for with vast sums possibly linked to Russia and a diamond mine in South Africa which has no diamonds.

If people had physically voted on the war, would Tony Blair be vilified and held responsible for the mistake?

Liz Webster, Water Eaton, Near Cricklade

Getting my hair off

I agree with Chris Gleed about these new hairstyles.

The ones that really get me going are the people who do not comb their hair (my husband being one!) and go on TV looking like they were pulled through a hedge backwards?

As for the torn jeans! My granddaughter came on a visit and was wearing these ‘fashionable’ jeans. I asked her if she would like me to repair them! I was told that she bought them like that. I would have thrown them away if they had been mine.

Janet Woodham, Scotby Avenue, Swindon

Hunt the police officer

I cannot agree more with Alan Wilson’s letter dated 10th August.

I use Thamesdown Drive and along the A419/A417 into Gloucester daily and since January this year I have been counting the amount of times I either passed a police car or saw a police officer male or female both full time officers and PCSO officers and in all that time the grand total is great big fat zero, not a one if memory serves me right.

I think the last time I saw a police car it was painted a light shade of blue.

I am not going to mention politicians - it’s a complete and utter waste of time to even try to get a complete open and honest answer from any of them, both male and female.

Like you Alan, I like to think I am an upstanding citizen of the world we live in and like you I’ve tried to assist the police with a problem but gave up after eight months because we got no response from anyone connected with law and order.

As for the Police Commissioner, what a grand title - sounds like something out of a Batman comic. But then again there’s the Joker - that’s a better description.

John L Crook, Haydon Wick, Swindon