Brexit and Boris have been a success story
YOUR correspondent Andrew Golland writes another letter to demonstrate his hatred of Brexit and the Prime Minister Boris Johnson (“Virtually anyone could have done better”, Mailbox, February 8).
Does he really want to return to the Common Agricultural Policy and give away our fishing grounds again?
Does he not recognise that the major car manufacturers are showing their confidence in the UK by massive new investments?
Does he not know that while exports to the EU have fallen modestly, the imports from the EU have fallen considerably more – the balance of trade has moved towards the UK and UK industry is supplying the balance – all good news.
Why does he prefer an immigration policy that advantages eastern Europeans against members of the Commonwealth and one that attracts low-skilled labour at the expense of British workers’ pay packets?
Does he prefer to import labour rather than encourage proper training and education of our own workforce?
As regards the government’s handling of the Covid pandemic, he is equally wrong.
The UK has one of the best records in dealing with and exiting from the necessary measures to control infection. The death toll is currently about 160,000, many of whom have died with Covid rather than of Covid, as opposed to the half-million originally predicted.
Previous PMs (Teresa May, David Cameron, Gordon Brown and Tony
Blair) failed to safeguard our PPE supplies with only 1 per cent manufactured in the UK. Now it is about 75 per cent.
The government worked wonders in addressing the shortage such that it was corrected within days.
Boris Johnson had to start a Track & Trace capacity from scratch; many other countries had a capability already.
The government invested in the Oxford/Astra Zeneca vaccine with huge success.
Dr Golland would probably have had us rely on the European Medicines Agency, which reacted months late.
The vaccine and booster roll-out has enabled the UK to leave restrictions behind with the result that we are the fastest growing economy in the G7 and unemployment is lower now that it was pre-pandemic.
During the pandemic, the government protected the long-term survival of industry and commerce by subsidising wages, salaries, and selfemployed incomes. It is ridiculous to describe that as a colossal scam.
When the next General Election is held, the electorate will judge everything in context and I believe the government will receive a mandate for a further five years.
Sir Keir Starmer will need to start concentrating on policies rather than personalities. He will also have to persuade the country that he can lead an independent and sovereign UK, and not lead us back into a European superstate, the objective of the diminishing band of Remainers like Andrew Golland.
John Sharp, Great Glen