Johnson must not ditch commitments made in Brexit Withdrawal Agreement

The blatant disregard by the UK of commitments already made by it in negotiations on a future trade deal with the EU has broken new ground, even for this government( Scotsman ,8 September ).

Months were spent in negotiating the Withdrawal Agreement and the Northern I reland protocol, preventing a hard border within the island of Ireland and providing assurances in the areas of citizens’ rights and Britain’s financial obligations.

The Withdrawal Agreement is not optional, but at re aty which was ratified by the current British Government, and which it is now seeking to undermine through pub - li shing legislation that will attempt to override it.

To think that the Government is prepared to shirk its responsibilities to two international agreements to satisfy rabid Brexiteer concerns is deeply troubling but not unexpected.

With the stakes upped and as we hurtle towards a potential no - deal Brexit, it will be the UK and the businesses and citizens already adversely impacted that will be affected most.

The UK must abide by what it has agreed to do, to stand by the Withdrawal Agreement it negotiated, indeed renegotiated, and protect the interests of those in the UK.

Should it fail to do this and we end up with a no-deal Brexit, the British people will only have the UK Government to blame for this.

ALEX ORR Marchmont Road, Edinburgh

Boris Johnson’s actions over the Brexit withdrawal treaty shows just how desperate, untrustworthy and irresponsible the Tories are.

The Tories’ Brexit negotiating hand was always weak. It’s based up on an imperial fantasy. while singing Rule Britainnia at the Proms and whipping up hatred against refugees may play well with the Tories’ English nationalist base; it does nothing to settle post-brexit trade arrangements. In potentially putting up a hard border in Ireland Boris Johnson is playing with fire. He risks re starting the conflict all for partisan gain.

Boris Johnson always intended a hard Brexit. He has however consistently lied on the issue, proclaiming that an “oven ready Brexit” was near completion.

The consequences of nodeal will be savage austerity and state repression. This is not hyperbole or propaganda. These scenarios were set out in the Operation Yellowhammer papers Johnson was forced to release last year.

The Tories’ latest action should show Nicola Sturgeon there is no trustworthy negotiating partner at West minster. The First Minister needs a fresh approach. Either she can turn the next Holyrood election into a de -facto indpendence referendum or she should state she will hold an advisory referendum then declare independence; as intentional law supersedes Westminster law.

This would mean the Tories would have to act. At the moment under Sturgeon’s current plan the Tories can simply say no referendum without a cost.

ALAN HINNRICHS Gillespie Terrace, Dundee