THE three letters in the Times (July 14) about Europe contain all the misunderstandings, deliberate or otherwise, lack of historical knowledge and the sort of untruths that were the trademark of the Brexit campaign.

To pick out a few statements only: the Commonwealth has moved on — Australia and New Zealand are strongly involved in trade with South East Asia, in an organisation that is developing like the EU; Canada took seven years to develop a trade treaty with its neighbour, the USA. There is no ‘talk of war’ except in paranoia, Mr Minshull, — the European Army is for border security, and bureaucrats, European or otherwise, do not start wars, politicians do. Most countries, Mr Hunter, are involved in developing good trade relations with neighbours via ‘blocs’ as it makes economic sense. Mr Cockayne has not appreciated that Spain, Ireland and Portugal have developed enormously over a generation because of their membership of the EU. And, of course, David Cameron, had achieved an agreement that we were never going to be part of ‘ever closer union’ and certainly not part of the Euro. It could never be foisted on us.

Yes we must all move forward to the future, keeping as much as is good for the UK from our European partners, but please let it be on a basis of truth and understanding.

Ian Gasper

Whitchurch