I VOTED leave in the EU referendum. I now wish to stay in the EU.

My reasons for leaving were many, but are probably in line with everyone else’s reasons, like corruption, federalism, borders, lack of accountability, etc.

The Reasons for staying?

Being naïve, I thought that the 2,200 UK politicians (parliament, lords, Scottish, Welsh and Irish) would recognise the democratic vote of the UK population and coalesce to get the best deal possible.

The negotiations would not be "May’s negotiations", but the UK’s negotiations.

What we actually got was 2,200 politicians behaving like a cross between the Muppets, and ferrets fighting in a sack.

MPs' opinions on the EU are like backsides, every politician has one and unfortunately has to be heard, and in many cases more sense emerged from the latter.

We have a bizarre situation now where the UK is being towed along by 12 Northern Irish politicians who are so good at resolving issues that their own assembly has not sat for almost two years.

Facing our sharp politicians were a bunch of unelected bureaucrats who have run rings round our lot. But it has exposed the incompetence, egotism, self interest, betrayal, and pure stupidity of MPs of all parties.

Purely by chance, of course, the EU has now said this week that the UK can stay in the EU without further debate amongst the other 27 members.

We should bury our national humiliation and stay, and accept that we will be a world laughing stock for years.

The EU set out to terrify any other country thinking of leaving, and has succeeded, having witnessed our chaos.

What of the turkey’s in parliament who voted for Christmas? It seems that they do not want a role in their own country. Retain a few politicians in parliament and lords and run a footpath through both houses for tourists. The few can shout "order" and make noises for the tourists, and half a dozen lords can wear their ridiculous ermine and sit on woolsacks, just saying "yaw, yaw".

EU courts will make our judiciary pointless in a few years. Keep a few bewigged judges in The Old Bailey with some waxwork criminals from Tussauds in dock to fascinate the tourists.

The NHS can continue to become the world's GP surgery with an enhanced waiting room at Heathrow.

Scotland must declare UDI and give our ears a rest. Northern Ireland amalgamate with Eire and row it a bit further out in to the Atlantic, the Welsh and English join and rename the country ‘Wagland’. Sorted!

Ron Shambley

Clough Avenue

Westhoughton