DURING an interview in 1975 between Robin Day and Enoch Powell following the first EEC referendum, Powell stated his belief that the British people didn’t fully understand what they had just voted for.

He said the British people thought they would still be a nation and be able to govern, tax and legislate for themselves.

After 40 years, have Powell’s predictions proved correct?

The EU now concludes treaties and trade deals, controls our customs, commercial policy, environment, transport, agriculture, fisheries and more. Policy control ranges from exclusive to supplemental and coordinating.

In accordance with the founding Treaty of Rome’s politician declaration of ‘ever closer union’, we can be sure more governance will be transferred to the EU and our democratic national institutions will decide less.

We are now and will continue to be a nation state in name only. EU taxation will eventually happen, by means of stealth at first. Rumblings of EU armed forces are ongoing.

Given Powell’s assertion that the British people were ignorant of what they voted for in 1975, was the 2016 referendum any better?

Did the remain campaign sell the vision of renouncing our status of nation state becoming a province in a new state like Powell said or the benefits of being governed by Brussels?

If the real question was put to the British people, the result would be unquestionably legitimate.

Stuart Noyes, Vigo Road, Andover.