ON JUNE 23, 17 million Britons took the decision to take this country out of the European Union.

Most Leavers were from the shire counties of Wales and England, including here in Dorset.

Those who took the decision to Remain were from Exeter, London, Cardiff, Leicester, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Scotland (over 60%) and Northern Ireland. We are left as a completely divided nation with the real possibility of the United Kingdom breaking up. The pound is at its lowest level against the dollar since 1985.

Our political system is in turmoil, with only Mark Carney at the Treasury suggesting a coherent plan and young people faced with an even more uncertain future thanks to the myopic tunnel vision of their parents and grand parents.

Worst of all the bigots have come out of the woodwork with the sudden spike in hate crimes.

Nigel Farage should be ashamed of his misleading campaign on immigration.

Leavers included English nationalists who talked of sovereignty whilst ignoring our malfunctioning democracy with its unelected House of Lords and First Past the Post voting system, people who were duped by the lies of the Leave Campaign( remember £350 million to be ploughed back into the NHS!), those who thought that housing, school places and our health services were anything to do with the EU(!) and the ‘ we hate Johnny Foreigner’ brigade.

I’ve met countless Leavers since June 23 who regret their vote and would vote differently in a second referendum. What cannot be disputed is that when this country has negotiated a new deal with the EU that must be put to another vote of the British people.

Richard Denton-White

Portland