• I WRITE in response to David Reed letter, (The referendum was a Tory wheeze that failed, October 10).

He suggests that a referendum was wrong on the basis that only politicians can understand the complexities of the European Union.

What should have happened was that all of the facts should have been explained when we joined 40 years ago instead of being put over in a way that glossed over the eventual goals of the EU.

When it comes to handing over powers that belong to the people and not parliament to a supranational body then it is essential that the people are asked their permission. This is not difficult for people to grasp.

Mr Reed did not want a referendum because people might not vote the way he wanted. The idea that most people did not vote to leave by twisting the figures is risible and a loser’s argument. If it had gone the other way on a similar basis Mr Reed would not have complained.

It was a huge turnout and on a constituency basis was a landslide; most Labour seats voted to leave which is one of the reasons Jeremy Corbyn is hesitant on the subject.

Metropolitan elite Hampstead may have voted to stay but is untypical of the country as a whole. Mr Reed needs to get out of his Hampstead bunker.

The arrogance that remainers are better informed is laughable. Clearly they have no problems with the democratic deficits in the EU, the cost and waste of money, the corruption, surrender of our fishing grounds, currency that has bankrupted Greece etc.

It may have been set up to stop wars, but this constant move towards more integration is causing frictions and may cause violence in the future. The best guarantor of peace is Nato, which is international with membership beyond Europe.

Clearly ignorance of the EU facts is bliss. I agree with Marcia MacLeod’s letter (I feel betrayed by the surrender and the traitors! October 10) which sums up my thinking on this matter.

And I have one comment to make on Doug Crawford’s letter (Make Brexit for the many not the few, October 10), one of the biggest speculators is George Soros an ardent remainer.

PAUL BONNY
NW5