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Where is Mr Fearnley's evidence for the assertion that it is the European Union which has "kept the principal nations of Europe at peace for the last 70 years"? Has he not heard of NATO? Can he truly be unaware that the destruction and misery attendant upon two world wars were what finally extinguished the Franco-German taste for mutual slaughter? For that matter, doesn't he consider Russia to be a "principal nation of Europe"? Presumably not, since he seems not to appreciate the fact that irresponsible empire-building by the EU on the fringes of the old Soviet Union is what has to a large extent brought about the current tension between east and west, and raised the threat of European war for the first time in 50 years. Like so many Remainers Mr Fearnley simply cannot grasp the idea that there is a compelling political case against "ever-closer union" - or at least against Britain's further participation in it - and that this case has nothing to do with "hankering after brave new worlds", visions of "rosy" futures, or any of the similar claptrap with which EU supporters like to soothe their wounded feelings and gratify their self-assumed moral and mental superiority.

To dispel one further confusion in Mr Fearnley's mind: we "Brexiteers" do not call the diehard Remainers anti-democratic because they still cling to the idea that the EU is a Good Thing or because they would like to achieve exit terms which preserve the best possible relations between the EU and Britain. We call them anti-democratic because of their evident "hankering" to quash the referendum verdict by hook or crook and because of the dismissive, sneering tone in which they characteristically (and I'm not pointing the finger at Mr F in particular) speak of the electoral majority who don't share their opinions.