Respect and tolerance are sadly lacking

Sir, – Being a child of the fifties I have lived through two sets of miners’ strikes, one Winter of Discontent, power cuts, the three-day week and petrol rationing.

Yet I cannot remember a time when divisions were so deep and when the country felt quite so vulnerable.

Irrespective of the rights and wrongs of the arguments, one thing is abundantly clear – membership, or not, of the European Union has been a divisive and malignant fissure line running through British politics pretty much from the moment we joined the Common Market.

It seems to be the one cause where, for some reason, absolutely nobody is prepared to compromise.

The prime minister may well have survived the vote of no confidence in her leadership but that is not the end of the matter.

She may have won more time but she has not won the debate.

I have been left feeling quite dismayed as I read ever-more vituperative online blogs and comments.

Decency and respect in debate seems to have been sacrificed in favour of howling rage, insults and scarcely-veiled threats.

This just isn’t healthy. It’s bad for our reputation abroad and it’s bad for our democracy.

But if the will exists a way can be found and in so doing we can calm the more extreme voices.

So that’s what I want for Christmas – for all of us to show respect and tolerance and a new year that highlights the best in all of us, not the worst. Derek Farmer. Knightsward Farm, Anstruther.

The EU has always been a divisive subject, says this correspondent.