THANKS to Chris Phillips for his letter in the Gazette & Herald of November 23. The sum of £38 billion for the ‘divorce settlement’ from the European Union which he mentioned has now been beefed up to around £50 billion. 
As for the Irish border question, there would seem to be two ways of maintaining the present close and peaceful relations between the people of Northern Ireland and the Republic. (Let’s remember the horrific cost in violence and suffering of securing these.) 
One way would be for Northern Ireland to leave the United Kingdom and join the Republic, thus staying in the EU after Brexit. This would be totally unacceptable to the Democratic Unionist Party, on which our present Government depends. 
The other way would be for the Brexit process to be discontinued and for the whole United Kingdom to stay in the EU. 
This is still possible and might even be chosen if there were to be a second referendum, now that we know the £350 million per week for the NHS promised on the famous red bus will not be forthcoming.
DAVID LEIGHTON 
Walnut Close
Pewsey