Rethink on Brexit

In the run-up to the 2016 referendum voters were assured that leaving the EU would be all gain and no pain: it would return our freedom, block immigrants, boost our international trade and free up vast sums to be spent on the NHS.

Those who could recall the days of the British Empire plus Tory backwoodsmen and tabloid readers in the provinces thought this was great idea and voted to leave. The young, the educated, the urbanites and the Celts didn’t buy it.

As the Lords considers the EU withdrawal bill it must decide if it should demand that the government allow the people to vote again when they realise Brexit is a shambles and that their EU subsidies and dependant jobs will vanish.

The 2016 referendum wasn’t definitive. Government is divided on what to do and these divisions reflect a divided country. The fact is, if people in a democracy are not to be allowed to change their minds it’s not a democracy.

(REV DR) JOHN CAMERON

Howard Place, St Andrews

The UK is giving France £43 million ostensibly to pay for policing the Calais-dover border, but really it is to curry favour with the French president as a prelude to getting some favourable trade deal with the EU, which of course is never going to happen.

In return, Emmanuel Macron is giving us a loan of what some people are describing as the “Bye EU” Tapestry, and the Prime Minister is quite happy with that deal.

Macron puts the interests of France and the EU first equal, and will not budge from that stance. What we should be doing is to advise the EU that we want access to the single market and control of our borders and we will pay for these, then we don’t negotiate any further until we have agreement on these points.

JAMES MACINTYRE Clarendon Road, Linlithgow