• I AM always surprised to hear very specific statements about the motivation of the leave voters in the 2016 referendum, as every leaver I know gave different reasons.

How can anyone know that five million Labour voters voted leave for the ideal of a socialist Brexit? (A socialist case for Brexit? November 28).

In reality there was only one question asked-should the United Kingdom stay in, or leave the European Union?

The government had no process plans for a leave outcome, and leave voters were not asked how, when, or why they wanted to leave.

Theresa May’s government answered the “how” question by declaring that “leave” meant leaving the EU’s single market and customs union. Leave voters were not asked if this was what they had wanted.

The “when” question was answered by May declaring that “leave” meant in two years’ time at the latest, under article 50. Leave voters were not asked if this was what they wanted.

Leave voters were not asked “why” they wanted to leave. However, surveys carried out since the vote indicated that common reasons were concerns about immigration and various permutations of the idea of “not wanting Brussels telling us what to do”.

With regard to eastern Europe, several eastern European countries joined the EU in 2004 and it was the decision of three countries – the UK, Sweden, and Ireland – to accept citizens of these countries seven years earlier than legally necessary.

Hundreds of thousands instead of tens of thousands came, as the economies of western and eastern Europe then differed much more than at present. This phenomenon had effects on both western and eastern Europe.

But if, as suggested, Romania is so badly disadvantaged by its membership of the EU, perhaps its citizens could organise their own referendum on membership?

I suspect that after viewing the UK’s political situation since 2016 there may not be a bargepole long enough in that country.

CATHERINE MILLER
Hargrave Park, N19