Another reason why the coronavirus cannot be allowed to delay Brexit

sir – The piece by Charles Moore (“The coronavirus crisis must not be allowed to delay Brexit,” Comment, May 19) was excellent. There is another important reason why there should be no extension.

Those of us categorised as “Brexitsupporting former Labour voters” will not forgive another extension. The message “Get Brexit done” persuaded many of us to vote Tory.

The last extension was forced upon Boris Johnson. Another one will be seen as his choice. Newly elected Tory MPS would be well-advised to remember this.

Cliff Peers

Chester-le-street, Co Durham

sir – As we near the June date for a review of negotiations, the European Union’s language and demands become ever more desperate.

One of its more outlandish demands is that, because the United Kingdom is too geographically close, the EU must be able to continue to exert some degree of economic and political control over us. This it justifies in all sorts of totally unconvincing ways.

What it really means, of course, is that it doesn’t want an outwardlooking, competitive and sovereign country on its doorstep, as this would contrast sharply with its own increasingly obviously outdated, protectionist market.

Mike Patterson

Camberley, Surrey

sir – The explanation by Ambrose Evans-pritchard of the findings and implications of the recent judgment by the German constitutional court was first class (“EU risks losing Germany if it picks a constitutional fight to the death, or the euro if it doesn’t,” Business, May 18).

The court asserted the supremacy of German law over the creeping assumption of powers by Brussels, in particular the European Central Bank and the European Court of Justice.

It was a revealing statement by Andreas Vosskuhle, the outgoing chief justice of the German constitutional court, that it speaks for “normal people” and sees itself as the counterweight to “liberal elites”.

After recent judgments by the UK Supreme Court, one wonders if its judges would similarly stand up to Brussels and see itself as speaking for “normal people”. With a heavy heart, I have made my own judgment on that.

Dr Bill Duff

Belfast

sir – All the fish in UK waters are a UK commodity, just like minerals and oil. The EU has for too long benefited from this unacknowledged contribution by the UK of its natural resources.

The French have grown accustomed to netting in our territorial waters while we were members of the EU, and must now accept that our waters belong to us, just as theirs belong to them.

We simply cannot agree to a blanket inclusion of fishing rights within the proposed trade agreement.

Trevor Butterworth

Horsham, West Sussex