IN the early stages of reading David Taylor-Gooby’s article “Doing things differently” (Echo, June 20), I instinctively thought Brexit is going to be mentioned and I wasn’t disappointed.

Once again it was a negative opinion by an individual who doesn’t want to leave the EU although he does confirm that the British population, in a democratic vote, opted to do so.

David is in favour of an extension. Would this be on the understanding that the UK’s weekly contribution, £350m, would cease on December 31, 2020?

It has been four years since the original vote, confirmed by subsequent elections, so the extension has already been in operation long enough. How quickly deals are completed depends very much on the co-operation of the EU. Looking at the trade deficit the UK has with them, the EU has far more to lose by playing awkward, as they were able to before the 2019 election, with the support of many in the UK who didn’t like the result of the original vote.

The writer may not be a supporter of the present government, they can’t please everybody, but they were re-elected in 2019 with a large majority.

Mike Taylor, Darlington.