In reply to David Martin (Letters, June 10), quite how he has managed to equate anything I have written to his absurd and infantile analogy scenario of A&E is totally beyond me, his logic or lack of it is stunning.

I am sorry if he feels my statement above to be rude or a personal attack, as I said in my last letter I am only grateful people are able to debate these issues.

He accuses me of complacency - where in any of my letters did I express that our leaving the EU would be easy?

On the contrary, my wife and I discussed many times before and since the referendum as to the pros and cons of our leaving the EU. I am far too pragmatic not to imagine that along the way our departure would be fraught and difficult.

Some of this will be due to some our former partners trying to make life for us outside the EU as problematic as possible for a myriad of reasons.

Mr Martin states that many business etc are struggling with new forms to fill in new rules to follow. Does he not remember, or has he chosen to forget similar expressions of exasperation being voiced and reported in the media by similar groups of people about new rules bought in by the EU? Does he not remember the chaos that ensued in this country when VAT was first introduced long before we joined the Common Market?

He goes on to state that there are numerous job vacancies in Witham, as I am sure there are up and down the country, but are there not many unemployed also as there were before we voted to leave, so is anything that much different?

He has to remember that in the East we voted by a large majority to leave so does he in his not very humble opinion think all of us are wrong and he and others of his persuasion are correct.

He also uses the example of the border and trade situation in Ireland. Would he not concede that a lot of the problems pertaining to Northern Ireland are due to people(s) with their own agendas and nothing to do with the imagined trade issue?

David suggests our government should apply to rejoin the customs union and the EU Single Market, has it not entered his head the punitive terms the leaders of the EU would demand of us, or does he seriously believe they would welcome us back with open arms and a smile? I somehow think not!

Whether our leaving will be positive or negative, no-one will know for sure, a lot of the problems imagined or real stem from the current Covid crisis, worldwide countries are struggling both economically and on a personal level. So I think the best we can do is be positive and let’s move on as a united country and not one divided by one vote.

There may be people in Witham who do not like having Priti Patel as their member of Parliament, but I assume they accept she was democratically elected by a majority and so move on - or do they?

W Brown

Braintree