COUNCILLOR Richard Clewer writes of his being “concerned” at the very existence of ‘Salisbury for Europe’, a group that he characterises as being somehow inherently part of the “political establishment liberal left”.

Salisbury for Europe is actually a very diverse group, and amongst its many hundreds of supporters are representatives from all the main political parties (and none).

The people have, indeed, spoken.

But Mr Clewer is wrong to describe a mere 37 per cent of registered electors as representing “the majority of the public”.

Indeed, the most prominent Leave campaigner did state, prior to the result, that a 52/48 result would be “unfinished business”.

Meanwhile, many of those who will be most affected by our current course were actually denied a vote, including millions of British nationals who live abroad and also young people (who were entrusted to help determine the future of Scotland but, bizarrely, not the future of the United Kingdom).

Never before in our democracy have those on the losing side of a vote been ordered to cease expressing their opinions.

Indeed, this year’s referendum only happened because those who were on the losing side of the 1975 referendum continued to campaign to have that decision reversed, which was their absolute and democratic right.

If Mr Clewer were to politely engage with us, he would discover that, far from “sneering” and displaying the “worst kind of arrogance”, Salisbury for Europe represents the wholly legitimate concerns of hard working people, worried nationals of other EU countries (including NHS staff), and people who have suffered hate attacks on the streets of Salisbury in this dangerous and febrile post-referendum atmosphere.

John Pheby Salisbury