Houses of Parliament

• I AM sure Martin Kennedy (Why we need to leave, August 22) knew what he wanted from his leave vote. What he did not know, and still does not, is what Brexit would bring.

There was no unified plan in 2016. There are, even now, different plans put forward by different Brexiters. They would have radically different implications for the UK and us as citizens. The EU has consist­ently accepted the UK’s decision. It has negotiated a deal.

The reason no actual Brexit plan has been accepted by MPs is because none comes anywhere near the promises made by any of the leave campaigners – certainly not Boris Johnson’s promise that we would have our cake and eat it. That is fundamen­tally a reflection of the quality of the promises.

Mr Kennedy repeats the easy falsehoods about an undemocratic and un­accountable organisation; has he already forgotten the European Parliament elections not even four months ago?

He suggests that eastern European countries only wish to be in the EU for the hand-outs. Did he really not take in the 1980s+ history of central and eastern Europe as countries unbound themselves from the oppression of the Soviet Union?

Brexit means erecting barriers not just to work­ing jointly to solving common problems but also to trade with our largest market. Brexit would disrupt supply chains. So the economic harm from any Brexit would far outweigh the money we would save from our contribution to the EU.

Mr Kennedy claims that EU expansion “cannot be curbed or altered”. If he is talking about expanding EU powers, then those are dependent on treaties which require unanimity. If he means welcoming new members to the club, then every existing member has a veto.

We certainly should hope that other European countries will join. It would strengthen the EU and make our neighbourhood safer, but only once they meet the Copenhagen Criteria for accession candidates: democratic, competitive economy, sound institutions.

Finally Mr Kennedy reveals his hope that the EU will collapse. For many Brexiters that is what it was about, rather than any actual benefit to Britain. The referendum has rendered a real service to Europeans by showing the chaos that would follow a decision to quit.

Leave advocates in other countries have gone quiet, and opinion polls show the publics of Europe as more pro-EU than before. So the reality of Brexit would be that the UK on its own would face a Europe united in the EU.

MICHAEL ROMBERG
W1