REGARDING the letter from John Roberts – Nub of the matter (Keighley News, August 31) – I deliberately used the term British as I was referring to the referendum, which was a ‘yes’ vote to leave the EU by the United Kingdom.

I normally state I am English as I was born in England, which does not make me xenophobic or a bigot. It is a fact of life to be a countryman of the land where you were born.

I am in my 80s and have visited many European countries, mainly France, and have never heard a Frenchman say he was European. The only persons I have heard saying they are British and European are the undemocratic ‘Remoaners’, who are trying desperately to sabotage Brexit.

The real nub of the matter is we, the people of the United Kingdom, voted to join the Common Market in 1973 but over the years this has changed dramatically and is continuing to worsen and eventually it will be a United State of Europe. This we did not vote to do.

With regard to the coming catastrophic effect on the British economy, that can be answered in the same words as Mr Roberts’ ‘scare stories’. Just like the one about if we voted ‘yes’ on June 23, 2016, we would immediately drop into the abyss of economic ruin.

I realise the British Government has wasted money on various schemes but the EU wastes far more amounts of money than we ever have. We, as a country, vote for our Government but when did we have a vote to appoint the EU commissioners?

Finally, there was a question Mr Roberts failed to answer. Would anyone, with an inkling of common sense, deal with an organisation that has never audited its books?

HAROLD TOMLINSON Bradford Road, Riddlesden