From the tone of Devon for Europe’s Peter Sturdgess, in his two recent letters to this column, you would think that Brexit means the end of the world is nigh.

Without the Common Agricultural Policy, farming will collapse. The current low growth rate, the fall in our G20 position, plus the threat of companies relocating to the EU’s “more attractive fields” and consequent job losses, are leaving people “very worried”. Peter shows himself to be a true captain of ‘Project Fear’ with his talk of “destroying industries” and “putting ourselves through grief”.

To put things in perspective, the CAP does not directly subsidise farming activity, but land ownership, i.e the wealthy get the most benefit. According to a local sheep farmer friend, it’s a nightmare in paperwork, and needs replacing urgently. Michael Gove has already promised to keep farming subsidised after Brexit within a new plan and period of transition from the CAP. Earlier in the year NFU president Meurig Raymond, said: ”….we can ensure that the new policy framework…is managed properly and delivered successfully”. So where’s the problem, Peter?

Regarding the currently low growth rate, the UK made a much quicker recovery from the 2008/9 banking crisis than other countries, so it’s not surprising there’s a bit of an economic fallback at this stage.

However, wages are now starting to get ahead of inflation and employment is at a 43-year high.

The lower pound has given a boost to our exports, and the Small Business Research Centre survey in March found that 72 per cent of respondents agreed that the UK is a great place to start a small business.

It’s inevitable that a percentage of larger EU-linked businesses and banks will relocate some of their operations to Europe… especially in the light of the EU’s hell-bent determination to make life as difficult as they can for us in the negotiations… strongly supported, as they are by Peter and his associate.

Consider, also, how EU membership encourages East European, for example Polish, migrants to take jobs which could be done by British workers while, at the same time, causing skill shortages in their home countries. For example, Poland is now having to recruit workers from the Ukraine. This is simply crazy.

Peter claims that Brexit means we are cutting ourselves off from economic aid.

Really? Britain is a net donor to the EU budget. So every penny piece of aid is just our own money recycled.

Surely, after all these decades, everyone understands this basic fact.

Brexit means we’ll have, not less, but lots more funds availabe to put to good use here at home.

Ian Phillips

Moreleigh Road Harbertonford