Brexit panders to Tories’ rich chums

Why were the Tories so set on pushing through Brexit? The EU rules guaranteed good food standards, good working conditions, strong environmental controls and the prevention of monopolies which

exploit consumers.

The reality is that Tories wanted deregulation to suit their cronies and their own interests. Importing and selling substandard food – chlorinated chicken and steroid beef – exploiting workers, driving down pay, and polluting and damaging the environment. This is put forward by Daniel Hannan, recently given a peerage by Boris Johnson. He also advocated deregulation of hedge funds, so we know who is actually pulling the strings (The Independent, January 6, 2021).

Brexit gives that opportunity. Johnson is pandering to his wealthy cronies, ignoring the needs of the poor and vulnerable. Compromising the future of our children and grandchildren. Already we are see

ing this. A toxic pesticide that is banned in the EU because it kills bees, is now allowed. Plans are already afoot to remove the maximum working week of 48 hours, so workers can be pressurised to work longer, irrespective of safety.

EU rules limit the ability of the rich to exploit ordinary people. Brexit Tories wanted Brexit and deregulation so they could become even richer. “Taking back control” and sovereignty were just glib smoke screens.

Using the worst pandemic to hit us in a hundred years to smuggle in deregulation and then to dismantle the Brexit Commons subcommittee to prevent accountability shows just what a cynical ploy Brexit was. Andrew Milroy Trowbridge

Roger White believes that we have gained sovereignty by leaving the EU and that the consequent damage to trade and relationships is a price worth paying. But how does he envisage using this sovereignty to make people’s lives better?

This is important because there is a lot of damage to make up for. I don’t just mean the fishermen and farmers who voted for Brexit and are surprised at the consequences, nor the manufacturing and service companies which didn’t but are still suffering damage to their businesses.

I mean the lives of four million ordinary British people. And two important groups in particular.

Firstly, there are the adult British citizens who have chosen to live, love, work, study or retire in another EU country. They have lived under unbearable uncertainty for nearly five years and now know that there will be new bureaucracy and restrictions on the lives they have chosen. Life choices that were a right we all shared until the likes of Mr White took it upon themselves to remove those rights from their fellow citizens.

Secondly there are the British schoolchildren, whose parents came to work here from another EU country. These parents too have lived under unbearable uncertainty for nearly five years and now know that there will be new bureaucracy and restrictions on the lives they have chosen. Life choices that were a right we all shared until the likes of Mr White took it upon themselves to remove those rights from their fellow citizens. So I ask the question. What changes can post-brexit Britain now make that will improve our lives in ways that will come anywhere near compensating for what we have lost?

Roger Chapman

Bath