Theresa May must choose: either Philip Hammond or Boris Johnson
SIR – You report (September 25) that Philip Hammond’s allies “have accused Boris Johnson of being ‘simple minded’ over Brexit”.
Enough is enough. Theresa May must choose either her Chancellor or her Foreign Secretary. Then we will see if “Brexit means Brexit”.
She needs to act quickly to take control and save her premiership. Martin Lewis
Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire
SIR – Far from being “simple minded”, Mr Johnson has grasped the central fact of the Brexit negotiations: the EU wants and needs our money, and we want and need a trade deal.
Rather than trying to curry favour, we should simply say: “Without a satisfactory trade deal, you will not get a penny.” By demanding our cash up-front, the EU is trying to take away our main bargaining chip. David Akehurst
Folkestone, Kent
SIR – Mrs May, a Remainer, failed to obtain an election mandate for a clean exit from the EU. She has failed to control the divergence of views in her Cabinet and is now watering down Britain’s negotiating position.
Mrs May is not prime minister material. She cannot think on her feet, does not inspire, and is conspicuous by her absence and her silence. She is anti-business when the private sector needs support to go global, and she has no vision for how Britain should take advantage of its independence.
She has never been able to hack it. She has to go – and a Brexiteer must become prime minister. Brian Sanderson
Keighley, West Yorkshire
SIR – Charles Moore (Comment, September 23) says that, in her Florence speech, Mrs May referred to the British electorate in the third person plural, thereby insinuating that she does not share the majority view.
I think the explanation is more straightforward. Rarely among politicians, she sees herself as a servant of the people, so this is the grammatically correct form. Jeremy M J Havard
London SW3
SIR – In negotiations, the EU has done nothing apart from reinforce a set of illogical red lines. Britain, on the other hand, has issued a number of wellcrafted position papers to try and get dialogue moving – only to be belittled.
This nonsense has to stop. The EU has shown itself to be a bullying and incompetent organisation that leeches off those it purports to represent.
Britain has voted to move on. Free-trading nations are keen to do business with us. We must waste no more time on our former friend. Bruce Pearson
Godalming, Surrey
SIR – The ambiguity of the term Brexit, which now means all things to all people, is hampering debate.
Self-government is much better. Chris Davies
Chertsey, Surrey