Perhaps city MPs were against ‘power grab’?

RE: ‘Despair at MPs’ stance on EU’, (Sep 15).

Has it occurred to Councillor Glenn Williams that some of those who voted against EU Withdrawal Bill may very well have been voting against the part of it which would provide government ministers (not Parliament) extraordinary new powers to change or amend at will nearly half a century of law with almost no public scrutiny?

Could it possibly be they were actually voting against the government’s using the Brexit vote to make what some see as the single biggest executive power grab in Britain’s post-war history?

Up until a couple of weeks ago, the government’s claim was it had the support for this “power grab” from the House of Lords Constitution Committee.

Indeed, the day before this debate began, the Prime Minister told the House that the government’s position “has been endorsed by the House of Lords Constitution Committee”.

However what the committee had actually stated was: “The executive powers conferred by the Bill are unprecedented and extraordinary and raise fundamental constitutional questions about the separation of powers between Parliament and government.”

It went further by saying that “the Bill weaves a tapestry of delegated powers that are breathtaking in terms of both their scope and potency” and that the “number, range and overlapping nature of the broad delegated powers would create what is, in effect, an unprecedented and extraordinary portmanteau of effectively unlimited powers upon which the government could draw. They would fundamentally challenge the constitutional balance of powers between Parliament and government and would represent a significant — and unacceptable — transfer of legal competence.”

Were the many Leavers voting for a change in “constitutional balance of powers between Parliament and government”? Did Coun Williams ask his correspondents that question? Did they say (as some seem to be) they were willing to sacrifice almost everything for a clean Brexit? Kevin Cryan Radford

Next Osteoporosis group meeting date

RE: The September meeting of Coventry Osteoporosis Support Group will be covering research into the combined effects of vitamin D supplements and resistance training for the older population.

The venue is St John the Baptist Church Hall in Fleet Street which is on the corner of Spon Street and Hill Street, CV1 3AY. We charge an entrance fee of £3 but this includes a tea and coffee.

For further information please contact June Barby 02476 451352. J Barby Ernesford Grange

Reunion for old Woodlands boys

WOODLANDS School Old Boys class of ‘57 will be holding their annual reunion at the Walsgrave pub, on Friday September 29, at around midday.

It will be 65 years since many of them first met, when they started secondary school education at the Coventry Tec. in 1952, and 60 years since they left Woodlands School in 1957.

This being a very auspicious occasion, it would be lovely to have as big a turnout as possible. Old Boys from around this period will also be made very welcome, so please come and join us on what will be a very special reunion. Peter Surtees Bedworth