WITH due respect to the correspondent (Bridport News, January 24) who believes that our elected representatives put their own interests above those of their constituents, I disagree and I hope and expect them to put the national interest first.

That is because we have a parliamentary democracy where we elect our MPs to make decisions on our behalf.

The Brexit referendum was such a terribly bad idea because individuals voted to leave for many different reasons, often single issue grievances, or emotional responses to soundbites, or fears, many of which could be addressed through adjustments to national policies.

There is, however, a single set of reasons to remain in the EU; being part of the biggest free trade bloc in the world, with the global economic and political influence which that brings, collaborations on security, medical and scientific research, and in technology, interchanges in education and culture, and our freedoms to travel, live and work in the EU.

I, for one, hope that our parliamentarians do their utmost to avert the biggest own goal in our history.

DIANA DUDGEON
Fleet St, Beaminster