This is no ploy, it’s post-Brexit reality

Fair play to MetroTalk for ‘balancing’ a letter about the labour problems caused or exacerbated by Brexit with one from a denialist, Sue, who says a shortage of butchers reported by the pork industry is ‘all a ploy to make us think we need the EU’ (MetroTalk, Mon).

The fact is every industry that didn’t already warn of all this happening is certainly realising it now.

To be fair, most of these problems would be solved by just being in the single market/customs union and you don’t actually have to be in the EU for that (see Norway).

And before some numpty says, ‘It’s all the industries’ fault, they had five years to prepare’ – no, we only knew what the actual so-called ‘deal’ was a few days before leaving.

And yes, every last Brexiteer absolutely should be HGV-training, crop picking, care working, in hospitality and so on until they’ve sorted the mess they created.

Adrian, Leigh-on-Sea

■ It wasn’t Brexit that created the shortage of essential human resources. Joining the EU cheapened the value of the working man, and encouraged cheaper outsourcing and the decline in training our own people.

All industry must be carried out domestically to minimise the effects of world change by war/politics/ disaster. The problem is we have had idiots at the wheel since at least Ted Heath, making us dependent and soft. It will hurt to use our own legs again but we will be stronger for it.

Steven, Willenhall

■ Is Guneet right to say Brexit was done because of immigrants ‘taking our jobs’ (MetroTalk, Mon)? Most leavers believed this and that immigrants were putting a strain on our NHS, housing and public services.

They blamed immigration for our ills, contrary to any belief in the free market and how it works.

Just Jack, Musselburgh

■ So far, there’s a shortage of butchers, HGV drivers, fruit pickers, carers... Sue thinks this is a ‘ploy and rational people can see right through it’. What planet is she on?

When will people admit that we need to cooperate with the EU? Wait for more U-turns as Brexit continues to kick in and our inept government desperately tries to patch things up rather than admit we made a mistake.

John Lewis, Coulsdon