I COULDN’T agree more with Christian Vassie and Kamran Hussein (Letters, February 14).

Free trade does not exist and the UK has not negotiated its own trade deals for over 40 years and now has to find, at huge expense to the taxpayer, experienced negotiators.

As a pessimistic Remainer, last month I met with Julian Sturdy to express my serious concerns for the economy if the UK leaves the European Single Market and is not part of the European Customs Union.

Surprisingly he agreed with me that if the UK was in neither, our economic prospects were not good.

Helen Webster, Main Street, Fulford, York