Trigger Article 50 as soon as possible

Official figures published by the British Retail Consortium show that in July, the first full month since the referendum, consumer spending in the UK rose by 1.9 per cent over July of 2015. The figures were confirmed independently by credit companies Visa and Barclaycard. Ever since we voted Leave, and the sterling rate fell, it has been seized upon by those who would keep us in the EU as a bad thing, but it has boosted international tourism to the UK by up to 30 per cent in some cases (Hong Kong, for example).

Overall the cheaper pound has seen an average increase in tourism of 7.1 per cent and people from around the globe are visiting the UK in greater numbers than for many years thus providing a massive boost to the economy as a whole; hotels, restaurants, pubs, places of entertainment and shops in general all show a huge rise in their takings and bookings, mainly from international tourism.

Add this to the nearly 30 major countries seeking trade deals in the UK, no major company showing serious signs of wanting to leave the UK despite the threats we were hearing from them for months before the vote, no sign (yet, in fairness) of David Cameron’s promised ‘World War III’ and remind us again if you would, just what were the ‘Remainers’ saying about us being ‘isolated’ and ‘friendless’ if we left the EU?

Daily the news grows better for our prospects outside the EU while inside the organisation lurches from crisis to disaster by way of calamity. The sooner we say ‘goodbye’ to it properly the better.

Raymond Stewart, Newtownabbey