LETTERS

Brexit revolt

I LIVE just five miles from where the Peasants’ Revolt started. Should there be a similar uprising of the 17.4 million people who voted to leave the EU to have the Speaker removed from office?

How can this country be held to ransom on the whim of a scurrilous little dictator? We should back the agreement that Mrs May has delivered, which achieved almost all the prerequisites of the vote and was a reasonable compromise.

The actions taken by Parliament over the past few weeks have been so damaging for the image of our oncegreat democratic system that it makes me cringe.

Mrs HILARY WHITING, Bridge, Kent. NOW that the Speaker has effectively banned further voting on the Brexit deal, can we assume we simply go back to what we voted for: a withdrawal from the EU on March 29 as planned? If so, well done, Bercow! ROGER GRIFFITHS, Loughton, Essex.

House of Fools

THE archaic parliamentary rule from 1604 that the Speaker has used to stop a third vote on Mrs May’s deal comes from the time when witches were burned, child pickpockets hanged, Africans were enslaved and women and working people were not represented in Parliament.

The Brexit debate has exposed the House of Fools as being out of touch as well as out of date.

J. ARMSTRONG, Dorchester, Dorset. JOHN BERCOW is not to blame for the situation in which we find ourselves. He has simply applied the rules of procedure for the Commons.

The culprits are the MPs who voted to remove the possibility of a No Deal departure. Without that we could have looked forward to gaining our freedom at the end of next week.

HUGH BLADON, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.

Speaker scuppered

MR BERCOW should be careful what he wishes for. If we are forced to remain in the EU, when it becomes the United States of Europe, Britain will no longer need a Parliament or have need of him. E. PRESCOTT, Southport, Merseyside. THIS 1604 ruling John Bercow has dug up to scupper Mrs May’s deal states that MPs can’t vote on an identical matter twice in the same parliamentary session.

Does it say the same about a proposition that has been presented to the people and voted on?

J. SIBTHORPE, Maidstone, Kent. AS A Leaver, I’ve changed my mind. After watching Parliament for the past two years, I think the smart move could be to stay in Europe and dissolve the Houses of Parliament.

GEOFF SMITH, address supplied.

Family planning

THE 40-year mortgage (Mail) is not new. I took out a 40-year mortgage in 1966 because the monthly repayments were the most we could afford. Like many people then, we did not have a social life, dine out in restaurants or buy flash clothes.

By saving every penny, we managed to reduce the mortgage term and then pay it off.

I was surprised at the report that families are not able to afford children and a ‘comfortable lifestyle’, so couples are putting nights out, cars and holidays ahead of starting a family. How sad.

My generation saw having children as more important than anything else, not optional extras. TERRY MULLARD, Dymchurch, Kent.

Mystery taxman

THE sad stories of the newlybereaved being treated badly by banks, utilities, insurers and HMRC were familiar to me (Letters).

Shortly after I was widowed, while embroiled in difficulties with HMRC over tax my late husband did not owe, I received a letter signed by a named individual.

He offered ‘sincere condolences’ for my loss and enclosed a form for my deceased husband to sign.

When I phoned and asked to speak to this person, I was told it was a made-up name. How can this be ethical behaviour? It seems that elderly widows are fair game.

ANNE PENNEY, Southampton, Hants. WHEN I lost my wife, sorting out the paperwork and finances couldn’t have been made easier.

Barclays needed just one meeting to deal with the lot and there were no issues. My wife’s accounts with the Halifax were handled sympathetically and speedily.

The only hiccup was the local officials who made many errors on her death certificate, including putting down her date of birth as 2018. They tried to say it was my fault and wanted to charge me £90.

They didn’t get it and they never apologised. However, they did receive a flea in their ear from two caring local councillors.

ROY NORCLIFFE, Leeds.

Anti-social media

FINES on social media giants are not enough to curb their bad practices. Legislation should target the ads that appear alongside offensive social media content.

Advertising income is the lifeblood of these monster companies, and if they are denied this, they will amend their ways.

There will be no incentive to advertise on social media if it is seen to be counter- productive to a company’s image or business.

P. WILLIAMSON, Reading, Berks.

Show me the money

I CAN’T believe that a City watchdog thinks it is a major revelation to tell us small businesses and the vulnerable are hardest hit by bank closures. Next, it’ll be telling us what bears do in the woods.

Only now, after so many closures, is

the watchdog waking up to the fact that lots of towns are without a bank branch or even a cashpoint.

despite the banks’ best efforts, old geezers like me will never abandon cash. We don’t do our banking online because we fear becoming easy meat for the scammers.

there have been too many reports of people whose accounts have been emptied, only for the bank to say they were too trusting and there is nothing they can do.

D. J. BOOTH, Cumbran, Torfaen.

Kwik fix for charity

When I was quoted £25 for a puncture repair at my local branch of Kwik fit, I was surprised to be told I could pay this or make a donation to a children’s cancer charity supported by the company.

after satisfying myself that there were no catches, I chose to make a donation.

Being part of the company’s generous gesture was uplifting, especially when I saw the tyre-fitting team’s delight at closing in on their collection target. It made my day. DAVID FINCH, Reigate, Surrey.

Make a real change

climate change demonstration (Mail). they simply shouted obscenities about the nasty tories, aided and abetted by their Left-wing teachers.

Compare that with the inspiring stories of youngsters who, in their own time, picked up rubbish.

Will the parents who allowed their children to go on the demo be fined for taking their them out of school? ANDREW PETTIGREW,

Haslingden, Lancs. YounG people, direct your passions to doing things that you can actually change: switch off chargers, turn down the heating, and walk or cycle when possible.

schoolchildren could help the environment by cutting back on internet shopping and supporting high street shops under threat. I would rather buy locally and get brilliant service. BERENICE STANSFIELD,

address supplied.