May should have given Trump some straight talking rather than polite soft soap
Your editorial on Saturday, “May ignores Trump’s insults for the sake of UK,” conveys almost the opposite of the important political truth, at least as far as would-be European Union Leavers are concerned.
President Donald Trump has proved, in many ways, internationally awkward and very controversial, but, in so far as fulfilling his campaign pledge to “Make America Great Again,” he puts many of Mrs May’s activities as British Prime Minister in the shade, particularly her unhap- py approach to negotiations for Brexit with the European Union, the referendum and her recent choices of Cabinet and closest Brexit advisers, including her main one, a civil servant.
Surely straight talking, even on an international visit, to get tougher and play the cards held by the United Kingdom, is more useful to the political hostess than polite soft soaping? President Trump has been undiplomatic, but politicians have to learn to “take the rough with the smooth,” as the late Sir Alec Douglas-home wisely said. A popular referendum has unexpectedly produced the “wrong” result for the Establishment, who may be the “great and the good,” but who cannot always be trusted to speak truthfully or have the nation’s or the voters’ best interests or expressed wishes at heart; witness the Iraq War, for example.
Theresa May, an electorally unimpressive Prime Minister with no national mandate, who has been criticised for her choice of a snap general election and for her handling of the Brexit negotiations, has, arguably, got our nation into a political mess.
Whether President Trump’s advice was diplomatic or not, her seeming “anti-midas” touch needs to be rethought, as Trump rightly averred last week in a newspaper interview.
(DR) CHARLES WARDROP
Viewlands Road West, Perth
While Theresa May tells us that we may not have Brexit at all unless we accept her plan, a huge chorus of Remainers and Leavers tell us that her way is worse than the status quo.
Firstly, surreptitiously we are tied to European regulations (having less say than Norway or Switzerland). Nor will Europe be sure that the extremely complex and expensive customs duty gathering (on Europe’s behalf) does not mark a surrender of their interests. So they will push for more concessions.
Lastly, President Trump is right to say that this surrender to Europe prevents the United Kingdom from turning towards the United States (and accepting their disgusting chickens).
Rightly, voters are turning away in disgust and Conservative popularity is collapsing.
Brexit is becoming a poisoned chalice for Brexiteers and the possibility of letting Labour carry it seems attractive. Don’t forget that Brexit succeeded on the back of an SNP slogan: “Say no to Project Fear.”
The danger is that we may all find ourselves attracted by that slogan now. After all, not many things can be worse than what we have got.
ANDREW VASS Corbiehill Place, Edinburgh