MR DRAX (Dorset Echo, July 13) makes much of the efforts of himself and many colleagues “to stick to our word,” while simultaneously dismissing the Good Friday Agreement which formally brought to an end the Irish troubles of some 30 years as “shameless exploitation”.

He can’t have it both ways.

The Good Friday Agreement set an open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

That was a given in the Brexit negotiations and, indeed, in the referendum, and some form of customs union is therefore unavoidable.

This is, contrary to some lies that have gained traction, perfectly possible without membership of the EU.

Whether it is a better position than full membership is doubtful.

Honest and competent politicians should have accepted this from the outset, and we would not be in the messy state we are now in.

Indeed, it looks as if none of the options available to us will be as sensible as retaining full membership of the EU.

That is, presumably, why Nigel Farage is happy that his children have dual British and German nationality, so that they will retain the opportunities that their father has worked hard to deny to their contemporaries; why Nigel Lawson, the Vote Leave Chairman, has applied for residence in France; and why Jacob Rees-Mogg’s business, Somerset Capital Management, has set up an investment vehicle in Dublin.

At the very least, now that even Brexit’s most ardent supporters are rushing to protect themselves, we should be given a second vote with a remain option, and a bit more reasoned thoughtfulness from Mr Drax in his columns.

Barry Tempest

Romulus Close,

Dorchester