I HAD thought this was a forum for voters, not political bodies, trying to justify that which looks increasingly untenable. The Brexit party is the one and only preserve of those wishing to leave the EU.

This must then mean they have a plan. I wonder then why Mr Bickley thought not to mention it.

In the absence of a plan from the Brexit party, I will attempt to explain the trading potential of this country.

Yes, we could begin exporting to India. This has already been investigated. We do of course export to India, but that trade deal is with the EU.

Perhaps Australia will oblige.

But their Prime Minster has already said their population is too small for us. Bit like the Norwegian idea.

But could we not specialise in exporting high value items? Rolls Royce cars and Bentley’s. But wait, we sold them to the Germans.

We used to build aircraft, but today the cost of development is too great for mere companies to bear.

Not even governments can deliver an aircraft on their own.

They need a group of countries to come together, confident in the finished product being developed to production level.

Could anyone be sure we would?

We might be able to revive our ship building business. But those days are really behind us. The construction of the aircraft carriers was hardly an advert for our business world. I wonder where the steel would come from?

This leaves us in the arms of the financial sector – or in the arms of a single industry. One which has no real assets here.

Roderick Oates Tabley