I WAS most surprised by the tone of Harry Mead's column (Echo, Dec 12). Does he really think that by triggering a hard Brexit, which he seems to want, Britain will become "Great" again?

I would suggest we will be without influence compared with the other powerful blocs. We will have to bend to the will of Donald Trump, who has already suggested several times that European food and environmental standards are much too high and if we do trade deals with the US for such as food we will have to accept US standards.

By sticking together within the EU we have been able to resist his demands, but as an independent country, no chance!

Similarly what chance will we have of regulating and taxing the internet giants as an independent country? We will have a much greater chance as part of a European grouping.

Harry writes as though if we have a hard Brexit, Britain will be transformed into some imagined all-powerful country that we were in the 1800s ruling most of the known world. Times have changed Harry and emphasising "Great" Britain will not alter that.

Eric Gendle, Middlesbrough