News stories show points of interest

SEVERAL recent news items taken together give an interesting take on the complications of Brexit.

During the French elections, the supporters of the sitting president, Emmanuel Macron, held up Britain as a whole and the Potteries in particular as examples of what happens to states leaving the EU.

This was an organisation viewed without enthusiasm by his intensely nationalist rival, Marine Le Pen.

She claimed that since Brexit, Britain’s economy had fared better than ever before.

So Macron’s team put out a video showing Stokeon-trent, the capital of Brexitland, and its areas of decay and implied that if Mme Le Pen won, her policies would reduce French cities to the condition of the Potteries.

This was followed by wrangles about the allotment of government grants, intended to replace the lost EU investment.

Stoke-on-trent is complaining that we are not getting our right slice of the cake. It is called the Shared Prosperity Fund, which looks likely to be a misnomer.

In Northern Ireland, elections could have dramatic consequences, not only for our relations with Europe but for the unity of Britain.

Jonathan Gullis, the MP for Stoke-on-trent North, has said the Brexit vote implied that decisions he thought were based on it, such as the decision to transport illegal immigrants to Rwanda, had solid support.

In fact Brexit only won by a narrow margin and public opinion is divided about the Rwanda scheme.

Has anyone written to the Sentinel to the effect that he or she had benefited from Brexit? And, if a general election were held tomorrow, how many people would vote to retain the present government?

The Red Wall constituencies, including the Potteries ones, are vulnerable.

MARGARET BROWN BURSLEM