Many people in Herefordshire, not least our farmers, will be breathing a sigh of relief now that a Brexit deal has been agreed, the alternative ‘No Deal’ or ‘WTO’ being unthinkably damaging.

Goods can be traded tariff-free with our neighbours, though services – the UK’s great strength – still face massive disadvantages following our departure from the EU.

Now Brexit is ‘settled’, what will the populists turn to next?

For decades the EU has been a convenient ‘enemy’ for most of our newspapers and many of our politicians, who have gained publicity, sales, or votes from promoting an image of the EU that is far removed from reality.

What is actually true is relegated to being ‘one view amongst many’.

The coronavirus pandemic has shown us how important it is that policies are made according to what is true rather than what happens to be popular.

The populists who pursued and delivered Brexit still need to maintain their popularity.

We should all be worried about who their next target will be, whether we belong to a minority group (migrants or prisoners, for instance) or not.

Will our MPs follow the facts, or will they follow the tabloids?

Peter Dyke

Hereford

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