THE letters to the Echo on democracy got me thinking.

To me democracy is all adults using a secret ballot, vote into office those people who govern them. Press freedom, and an independent judiciary.

It appears in the Brexit debate the ordinary people on both sides of the argument have never asked what happens to all that power, and money which will be returned from the EU.

So far as I can see it has all ended up in number 10, with the Prime Minister and his unelected advisers.

The role of Parliament does not appear to have been enhanced.

For example they were just given just one day to debate the most important bill for years, the Brexit treaty.

This Government seems to treat both houses as an inconvenience to be managed, not a source of testing their plans, information or ideas coming directly from MPs or through them from their constituents.

To me “taking back control” now means, giving it all to the few powerful people who think they, and only they know what is best for us.

After Brexit do I feel more in control, no, do I think I will be more in control in the future, no. 56 per cent of the people did not vote for this Government, but they ended up with 60 per cent of the MPs, and control. 70 per cent of the voters did not vote Conservative in the local elections but they have ended up in control. How can you call that democratic? How can you call that “taking back control”?

The strange thing in all of this is it is generally accepted that UKIP forced the Government into the referendum, but they only ever won 1 seat in Parliament.

UKIP built their platform of support through gaining a large number of seats in the European Parliament.

This was achieved because broadly speaking in those elections every vote counted.

Now they do not and hence I guess parties outside of the big two that have a major point to make will never be heard.

So “taking back control” really means giving control to the governing few, and enabling them to manage the exclusion of everyone else.

JAMES BARBER

Coombe Avenue, Bournemouth