Dispiriting reality after moving Remembrance services

From: Ron Firth, Campsall.

THE BBC’s coverage of the Royal Albert Hall tribute to the hundreds of thousands of the Armed Forces from the UK and Commonwealth who gave their lives to maintain our freedom and safety was, despite the Covid restrictions, a very polished and moving occasion, as was the Sunday morning service at the Cenotaph.

The tributes to our doctors and nurses who displayed then, as they have been doing throughout 2020, their skills, dedication and total selflessness, in their fight against another deadly enemy, was much appreciated.

I feel sure that the millions of viewers would, like me, have felt particularly proud of our country and Commonwealth, and of the family and neighbours who saw us through the years of austerity, a period that helped us appreciate the basic values of life.

I was quickly brought back to reality and the shortcomings and unpatriotic tactics of the media.

Firstly Andrew Marr trying to get a ‘ yes/ no’ answer from

Dominic Raab over whether Boris Johnson’s warm greeting to Donald Trump would lead directly to Joe Biden’s refusal to do a trade deal with the UK, and, instead, strengthen his dealings with the EU.

Not surprisingly Hilary Benn joined in ( The Yorkshire Post, November 10), adding that this would make our Brexit deal more difficult.

What has made the Brexit dealings almost impossible is that many MPs, like Mr Benn who represents Leeds Central, have failed to act on the referendum vote to get us out of the EU. The referendum was on a single issue – Brexit – and, despite David Cameron spending millions on propaganda leaflets supporting the EU, the biggest turnout of any national vote saw a significant majority of voters and constituencies voting to leave.

To get a deal that was acceptable to most of the UK required the total commitment of all MPs in the discussions with the EU. Instead we have seen massive inertia on the part of very many MPs, despite their voters backing Brexit by up to 70 per cent. Who are these people representing?

From: Thomas Reed, Harrogate.

‘ NEVER before have so few remembered so many” – such poignant words in your writeup on the Cenotaph service 80 years after the Battle of Britain, but without any trace of jingoism ( The Yorkshire Post, November 9).

Full credit, too, to the Royal British Legion for putting on such a moving service in such difficult circumstances.