When the 100 or so members of the West Dorset Conservative Association decided who would be our next candidate in 2019, they chose a Brexiteer. Thanks to his weekly column we have discovered that Mr Loder knows a lot about trains and farming.

Sadly, he has little understanding of the wider world.

In last week’s column he picked up on two issues. He welcomed the new alliance between ourselves, US and Australia.

This alliance of three white powers last seen on the world stage making an ignominious retreat from Afghanistan will hardly impress the international community.

The reaction from China has been twofold - firstly its military planes have crossed Taiwan’s airspace and secondly it has upped its efforts to secure gas and other energy supplies from the international markets - This will threaten our supplies and force further increases. So much for creating a more stable world.

In the second half of his column, he turns to the fuel crisis and blames it on consumers for wanting to fill up their cars. He also opines that the benefit of Brexit is that it will force up wages of British workers.

Why did his government not anticipate the shortage of HGV drivers as continental drivers returned home? Does he really think they will return so that Johnson can ‘save Christmas' (I seem to recall he offered a similar guarantee last Christmas). Any wage rises for working class people will be wiped out by price rises and tax increases which will impact disproportionally on poorer people.

The ‘Little England' policies of Johnson and his government will inflict a winter of chaos. Sure, Covid has played its part. But it is time for Mr Loder to own his decision and show some honesty.

Brexit is not working.

BARRY BATES

West Allington, Bridport