VENK Shenoi clearly knows more than most commentators on the subject of the EU (Letters, October 14).

A close consideration of his letter reveals one generalisation  or piece of misinformation after another.

It has never been the case that Members of Parliament are elected as ‘delegates’.

This is especially true in the case of Brexit where 52 per cent of those who voted did so on narrow wording, which made no mention of single markets or the European Court of Justice.

It is for this reason that most of the opposition parties and some Conservative MPs are seeking clarification from the government as regards ‘our Brexit negotiating position’. 

The present situation is far from ideal and has caused a great deal of uncertainty in the markets. The pound has fallen sharply and the FT index has risen.

In the short term, this will be good for our exports as they become cheaper but it could be catastrophic for the prices of imports as they will become far more expensive.

This could be disastrous  for those on low and fixed incomes as food, gas, electricity and fuel is bound to rise sharply. 

I object strongly to Mr Shenoi’s shrugging off of this when he talks about Britain’s return to its ‘pole-position’. The UK hasn’t held that for the past 100 years.

He also claims to ‘know’ why the British public voted. Yes, some did want ‘our country back’ and the means to reduce immigration, although Mrs May could have put up barriers to non-EU citizens when she was Home Secretary.

I come across many xenophobic comments on social media sites, so one presumes that this was also in the mix.

Many were no doubt influenced by the current Foreign Secretary’s promises – many of which fell short of the truth – and spurred on by newspapers many of whose owners are either foreign nationals or who live in other EU countries to avoid paying UK tax.  

In fact, many more than ‘the 52 per cent’ either didn’t have a vote or didn’t vote to leave.

Taking all this into account, it would be a failure in their duty as MPs to allow the recently appointed Mrs May and her gang to use the Royal (or Crown) prerogative to ride roughshod over democracy.

According to Mr Shenoi the British people voted to regain our sovereignty.

Fine, but let it be understood, the people did not vote this way only to lose it again to the hands of Mrs May’s government clique. 

David Davis, our Brexit Minister, has been threatening the use of the Royal Prerogative.

He might refer to his speech in the House of Commons in 1999: “There are three primary aspects of government where Parliamentary scrutiny and control are either absent or inadequate.

“They are: first, the exercise of unfettered Executive power, largely under Crown prerogative – it strikes me as extraordinary that Parliament has no say not only in the decisions, but in who makes them.” (Hansard, 22 June, 1999, col 930-931).

Mr Shenoi, please note.

– David Parry, Coleford.