I write in response to Mr Drax's column of Jan 25.

I have studied, researched, taught and written about the European Union for the last 20 years. As such I suppose I could be included in Mr Gove's disparaged class of experts. Before that I served in the Royal Navy.

Mr Drax claims that 'Eurocrats' have taken a 'punitive stance' towards the UK as the UK leaves the EU. This is untrue.

The EU is an international organisation completely controlled by its Member States through Treaties, unanimously agreed by the Member States, with any implementing and more detailed laws totally limited by the powers in those Treaties. This is the system of rules and law that we've decided to leave, but the UK and the remaining Member States (the EU27) are bound by those rules in deciding how the UK leaves and any future relationship the UK will have with the EU as a third country, the class of country that we will be. This is why the Commission was given a mandate by the EU27 to negotiate Brexit and is why we are weak in the face of a united EU27. There is no punishment involved simply the logical position that we will be a third country and thus unable to obtain the same enormous benefits of being a Member State.

The UK has never really understood this idea of the EU built on rules and law as set out in the Treaties, possibly as we are one of the few countries in the world without a codified constitution. The UK unfortunately also appears to have forgotten the central purpose of the EU, peace between Member States, as well as our central role in the creation of the Single Market and expansion of the EU to 28 Member States, along with the benefits flowing from our membership.

If we leave without a deal, or indeed eventually leave transition after a deal but without a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the EU, then if we sign FTAs with every other country in the world they will not replace that loss of trade caused by Brexit.

These sadly are facts, easily available and capable of being checked through research. Unfortunately, Dean Acheson's 1962 quote that 'Britain has lost an Empire and not yet found a role'? continues to resonate. Mr Drax, with his enormous estate and wealth, will I'm sure be just fine. Many of his constituents will not be and their suffering will be the fault of Mr Drax and his far-right associates, not of the EU. The last 2 sentences are opinion of course, but there is evidence to support it. There is none to support Mr Drax's opinion.

Dr Rick Ball

Weyview Crescent

Weymouth