In (and out) continent views from politicians

THIS week we have to make up our minds whether to vote to stay in the EU or get out; a decision I don’t think should be made by us.

We have representatives who are meant to do that for us. They are MPs, and we only voted them into the job a year ago.

Faced with the playground scrapping that our leaders call debate, most people are no wiser than when the campaign began. Every argument for staying is squashed by the leavers – and vice versa.

The economy will flounder (no, it will flourish). Staying in the EU means safety in numbers and will make us more secure (no, open borders make us more at risk). Prices up. Prices down. Enough!

One puzzled voter told me: If there were some neutral ground where the politicians agreed it would make it easier. You could then believe that their opposing views weren’t just endless, silly, tit for tat.

Nevertheless it is important to vote, so good luck (with apologies to Bucks Fizz) in Making Your Minds Up tomorrow (Thursday).

HOW sad on any day, to hear of another mass killing in America – but particularly on the day many of us turned out to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday.

In the UK, at numerous street parties, residents got to know neighbours with whom they had previously only shared a quick ‘good morning’ on the way to work.

There was no divide: old, middle-aged, children and babies, from many ethnic and cultural backgrounds partied together, sharing food that they carried out to the streets from their own homes.

While we concentrated on getting along together, in Orlando it was grief that was uniting their community. Busy with our own preparations, many of us were oblivious to the tragedy until we eventually returned to our houses and switched on the news.

What I find most confusing is that with yet another mass killing, this time leaving 49 dead, many Americans still insist on opposing any changes to gun laws.

Never mind that 13,286 people were killed in the US by firearms in 2015, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

Maybe one day we’ll have a referendum on whether to change our gun laws here. Or bring back hanging. Or invade another country. Heaven help us all if we do.