Re: 鈥淲hy Brexit makes a lot of sense,鈥� comment, April 7.
Does Philip Hobson really believe that the populations of 27 other countries in the European Union were threatening to move to the U.K., as his opening statement seems to suggest? His commentary was very misleading in places.
Immigration from the EU to Britain has dropped sharply since the referendum, but overall, the numbers haven鈥檛 changed 鈥� those Polish workers Hobson worries about have been replaced by others from non-European countries. The 47 languages spoken at the school he refers to are mainly Asian and African, not European.
He forgets to mention 1.3 million Britons who have settled in other European countries for work or retirement. Freedom of movement works both ways.
Contrary to what Hobson implies, the European Court does include British judges, and while he emphasizes fishing quotas, he overlooks the border-free supply chains that are vital to British manufacturers.
Yes, France enjoys some privileges, but so does the U.K. 鈥� the rebate negotiated by Margaret Thatcher, exclusion from the Schengen agreement and an opt-out from the euro, which makes Hobson鈥檚 criticisms of that currency irrelevant to Brexit.
He also fails to mention that Northern Ireland, Scotland, London and young people were strongly against Brexit. Many of those in favour were from post-industrial communities protesting that the global economy had passed them by, while others, fuelled by a strident tabloid press, were swayed by an obsolete form of patriotism based on nostalgia.
The world has changed; Brexit makes very little sense to me.
John Weaver
Victoria
