IT WOULD be foolish for pro EU-leavers such as myself to argue that nothing good has ever come out of it. But, it seems to me, it is equally silly to argue as Mr Pengelly does, that such things as clean beaches, investment in tourism and business are wholly due to the EU and, by inference, would not have happened if the EU had not made it so.

Similarly, to describe leaving the EU as ‘catastrophic’ and ‘a jump into the dark’ are emotive phrases.

Recent statements by the Treasury, the IMF, president Obama and others cannot be dismissed but they should be treated with great scepticism as they have all been spectacularly wrong in the past and there are equally authoritative people arguing that outside the EU Britain, freed from the need to follow the stifling EU rule book, would thrive.

The fact that it has been our government agencies who have zealously enforced those rules only adds insult to injury, that would be another relief - disbanding the legions of jobsworths who administer them.

I have read that the EU system of subsidies (the CAP) has been instrumental in devastating the wildlife of Britain by encouraging mono-culture crops and has allowed our fishing grounds to be exploited by French and Spanish fishermen whilst stopping our fishermen using them and has devastated fish stocks. These things have been ‘catastrophic’.

As for a ‘jump into the dark’ I think the future for Britain within the EU would be equally problematic and unpredictable with the certainty of being virtually helpless to avoid a huge new influx of job-seeking refugees and the ability to control our borders whilst being forced into ‘ever closer union’ (whatever Mr Cameron says) within a failing and corrupt power-mad organisation.

John Neimer Address supplied