I HAVEN’T checked the following figures, but I think them worth sharing.

Pythagoras Theorem is 24 words long; The Lord`s Prayer has 66 words; the American Declaration of Independence 1,300 words, and the EU Rules for selling cabbages runs to 26,911 words.

Thinking of Brexit, I see that Paul Goddard (Letters November 2) wrote that “Brexit is a mess”.

That is no surprise. The prime minister is a remainer at heart, as is her chancellor. Her closest civil service advisor Olly Robbins is an ardent Europhile, and is described by the EU negotiators as “very friendly and helpful”, hence the two steps forward and one step back (at best) in the negotiations.

I am left in no doubt as to why I voted Leave in the referendum; because I am old and decrepit (according to Vince Cable) and I am “thick” and uneducated (according to Tony Blair). A recent survey for the Remainers has said that we Leavers “are the sort of people who buy teeth-whitening kits”.

Bob Geldof says that we should stay in the EU and reform it from inside. He is either being very cynical or very naive. Tony Blair tried that — he gave up half our rebate on the understanding that there would be a reform of the Common Agricultural Policy.

There has been no such reform so we have been cheated out of £5 billion a year for the past 14 years. The EU is a deeply corrupt set-up, and if we cave in to them they will bleed us dry.

Brian Mercer, Barlows Lane, Andover