MP TIM Farron has told me that he thinks that we should have another EU referendum with the only two choices being, to either accept the government deal or remain in the EU.

That would mean that the Brexit which 17.4m people voted for in 2016 would not be on the ballot paper if he had his way. How democratic is that?

I think that the name of the party he represents should be renamed with the word 'Democratic' removed, as they clearly don't believe in democracy.

Roger Brown

Grange-over-Sands

l Editor's note: The Westmorland Gazette contacted Westmorland and lonsdale MP Tim Farron after receiving Mr Brown's letter and here is his repsonse:

YOU won't be surprised to hear that I have had hundreds of letters and emails from local residents about what should happen next on Brexit. For what it’s worth, more than 90 per cent of those residents who have been in touch, disagree with Mr Brown.

I hope he will forgive me, but Mr Brown’s letter proves my point because he suggests that the 17.4m people who voted Leave back in 2016 all voted to leave with no deal.

But we know that there’s lots of people who voted Leave who are very against 'no deal', who back the Prime Minister’s deal or who would prefer us to leave with a Norway-style deal.

When we consider this fact, it’s hard to claim that there is any majority in the country anymore for any one course of action.

So, should the government force the majority into a deal, or 'no deal' that they don't want? That wouldn't be democratic at all. So, even though I think referendums are divisive, the only legitimate way to break the deadlock now is to give the people, not the politicians, the final say.

Considering that Theresa May’s deal is the only way of leaving that is still on the table then I suggest that the choice should be between that or keeping the deal that we already have. It is not an ideal way of sorting this out but it is the only decisive and vaguely tidy way of moving forward.

I’m sure Mr Brown would have his criticisms of this option, and I do too for that matter, but might I suggest he should direct the blame towards David Cameron, who complacently did zero preparation for this situation, which inevitably placed us in the current mess.