Lords’ Brexit meddling could produce an outcome that no one voted for
SIR – The unelected House of Lords has voted against not only the Government but also the people of this country, backing an amendment to the Brexit bill which favours our staying in some kind of customs union with the EU after the “transition period” (report, April 19).
This is despite the electorate being told by both sides in the referendum campaign that voting for Brexit would mean leaving both the single market and the customs union.
Which bit of “democratically expressed will of the people” do these out-of-touch elitists refuse to understand? They know that their plan would mean Brexit in name only – the worst possible deal, and one that nobody voted for. It is time to replace this archaic institution with something more in tune with modern society, such as a regionally elected group of representatives from all walks of life. Geoffrey H Lazell
Diss, Norfolk
SIR – I would like to volunteer to stand as a temporary peer. I will not inflict any speeches on their Lordships, and nor will I need any remuneration; but I guarantee to vote against anything proposed by the likes of Lord Patten and Lord Kerr.
Once Brexit is complete, I promise to retire and return to obscurity. Earl of Ronaldshay
Richmond, North Yorkshire
SIR – Boris Johnson hits the nail firmly on the head (report, April 19). People state that they voted to leave the EU for different reasons, but ultimately it has always been about who calls the shots. Our laws, our immigration policy, our money, our trade – all of these things should be determined by an elected British Parliament, not foreign bureaucrats and heads of state.
Given our history of success and independence spanning many centuries, I find it astonishing that so many in the establishment still wish to abdicate their responsibilities to Brussels, Paris and Berlin.
Much has rightly been said about the disgraceful treatment of the Windrush generation but, as the Foreign Secretary points out, our friends and allies from the Commonwealth were first betrayed by Britain in 1973. Hopefully it is not too late to put things right and to fully embrace the potential of an Englishspeaking market of 2.4 billion people. Eddie Hooper
Gravesend, Kent
SIR – Leaving the EU may well be about who calls the shots, but it is becoming clear that, when it comes to problems with immigration, it is not just the EU that is to blame. Our own governments, of both main parties, have been guilty of appalling maladministration.
Boris Johnson should devote his energy to convincing us that once we start calling the shots, our politicians will devote enough resources to enable immigration policy to be managed properly. Adrian Cosker
Hitchin, Hertfordshire