I WONDER if Christian Vassie sincerely believes his claims that life as we know it will cease following our withdrawal from the EU next March (We must abandon the folly of Brexit, Letters, August 15).

How will planes fly? Really? Perhaps there is an element of exaggeration in there somewhere?

As for trade, ie import and export, there must be companies in the 27 other EU member states striving to find ways of continuing their trade with Britain. And does he honestly think that the only countries in the world who would wish to trade with us in the future are in Europe?

There is a large world outside of the European continent: the USA, Canada, South America, Australia, New Zealand, the Indian

subcontinent, Russia, China etc.

Instead of panicking and painting such a very black picture, we need to be looking for future opportunities and new trading partners wherever they may be.

The glass may well be half full.

I really wish we could stop stating our opinions as if they are proven facts, and making forecasts as though these gloomy predictions are inevitable.

Pamela Brown,

Goodwood Grove, York

The EU trade with us is ‘not significant’

I HAVE tried to ignore comments made by Christian Vassie re the UK’s exit from the EU in the past, but cannot any longer.

He quotes Amazon, which last year saw a significant rise in their profits and a significant fall in tax they pay (We must abandon the folly of Brexit, Letters, August 15). They do very well out of the UK economy. Is he truly suggesting they will abandon us when we exit?

Trade went on before the EU and will continue afterwards. What exactly is the relevance to distance? Has he never had a New Zealand lamb chop or put NZ butter on his toast? Ninety six per cent of the world trade under WTO rules, the EU trade with us is not significant.

Lastly, when the A380 of Emirates airline lines up on the runway at 1400hrs everyday with 853 passengers, it will hurtle 650 tonnes down the runway, and fly directly over central Europe, the Black Sea and the Arabian gulf. Will that stop because we are about to leave the EU?

Keith Isaac,

Byron Drive, York