PRO-BREXITERS constantly assure us that, after the UK leaves the EU, other countries around the world will be falling over backwards to do quick and beneficial trade deals with us. Now President Trump, who of course does not like the European Union because he can’t bully it, assures us that the United States would be happy to do “a big deal” quickly with Britain just as soon as we are free to negotiate one (“Trump talks up big trade deal with UK after Brexit”, The Herald, July 26).

But the US has been negotiating a trade deal with its friendly next-door neighbour Canada for the last nine years, and it has not yet been fully agreed. And we can be sure that the Americans will use their financial and political power to impose a UK deal which will be first and foremost in the interests of American big business and its much larger population and market-place. As Mr Trump constantly trumpets – “America first” – and he means it.

And of course we already have substantial trading links with other large-population countries such as India, China and Brazil, and also with most Commonwealth countries. These have been indirectly assisted, not hampered, by our membership of the EU Common Market. And all Britain has to offer is a market of some 65 million people and, in the next few decades, a much smaller and failing market, whereas those on the other side of the table with much bigger potential markets will demand and expect concessions.

What will we say when India and China demand free access for their young people to British universities, without payment of large annual fees, and preferential treatment for their businesses investing in the United Kingdom?

All these negotiations around the world will be extremely difficult, expensive, and time-consuming, and in the end will probably produce less economic benefits than we already enjoy within the European union and are recklessly throwing away. Today’s youngsters will look back at us and our feckless politicians and wonder how we could have been so stupid.

Iain AD Mann,

7 Kelvin Court,

Glasgow.

IT must surely be deeply disquieting to the majority in Britain who voted to leave the European Union and regain our sovereignty that there appears to be a vocal rump in Parliament and outside it who clamour for a setting aside of the will of the people as expressed in the referendum.

To those of us who remember the blood and treasure expended in maintaining our freedom in the Second World War, the spurious economic assertions that we shall be the poorer for regaining our national independence, sit shamefully against the reclamation of our sovereignty as a nation.

The 170,000 staff members of the EU and the large proportion of the 490,000 British civil servants who implement or enforce EU legislation, wear no uniform but are as inimical to our independence as previous would-be invaders.

Surely a generation which is heavily indebted to those who repulsed the Spanish, Napoleon and Hitler, will not allow the Quisling voices within and without Parliament to compromise our impending freedom from the alien dictatorship which is the EU.

MM Henderson,

10 lddesleigh Avenue,

Milngavie.