• THE triggering of Article 50 by Prime Minister Theresa May unleashes the process of negotiation for our departure from the European economic and political community.

It is a tragedy we are breaking links with a Continental commitment that provides export markets and economic prosperity.

Nick Clegg’s rejoinder on television to David Davis, minister co-ordinating Brexit negotiations, that we would be jettisoning access to a vast trading sector and massive investment infrastructure was unassailable.

How can we retain our association with the single market in goods and services when we are no longer a member?

The argument that we will be opening up commercial enterprise on an international scale doesn’t hold water.

Quite apart from the fact we were still able to trade with the rest of the globe anyway, none of the other economic structures offers anything remotely comparable to the European free trade area.

There are many drawbacks with the continental system, not least its bureaucracy and centralising financial mechanism, but by remaining we could have negotiated greater flexibility and progress. Now we are marginalised.

CN KYLE
Hornsey Road, N7