Children’s games in Cabinet not enough to break Mrs May’s stalemate
SIR – Playing games with her Cabinet and dividing them into two teams makes Theresa May seem more like a primary school teacher than Prime Minister.
If Mrs May has the guts, and wishes to go down in history as a success, she must deliver full independence for Britain from the undemocratic EU.
Given that the House of Commons is still about 60 per cent Remainer, if she is double-crossed by MPS and outvoted, she should show some faith and go once more to the country – unless she really is a Remainer double agent. Gerald Heath
Corsham, Wiltshire
SIR –The Government, in its leaflet to households on the EU referendum, said to the British people: “This is your decision. The Government will implement what you decide.” The British people voted to leave the EU.
The Conservative election manifesto in 2017 stated its policy was for the UK to leave the single market and customs union. The Conservative party won the election and is in Government.
So what is the basis for the actions of Conservative MPS and Conservative peers who are working to usurp the democratic will of the British people? Paul Miller
Lincoln
SIR – The question of the Northern Ireland border often sees two separate issues conflated. One that can easily be resolved concerns different regulations on products and services.
I have been involved in exporting manufactured goods worldwide for 40 years. The regulations and standards that govern them are relevant at the point of sale, not the point of importation. It is illegal to sell a product that does not meet local standards in the majority of developed countries. In my experience they are never checked by customs for compliance.
The issue of tariffs is more problematic. The EU is concerned about an import into the UK on one tariff (which may be lower than its own) being forwarded into Europe, creating “unfair” competition. This highlights the way tariffs are used to reduce competition and protect local producers rather than consumers.
We should declare that we will allow goods from the EU to enter the UK tariff-free after Brexit. A solution to goods and services travelling the other way is for the EU to propose and for us to agree. Julian Tope
Portishead, Somerset
SIR – The CBI and others put their weight behind a complicated scheme whereby the United Kingdom would collect EU tariffs and operate a computer program to sort out goods destined for the EU and goods destined for the UK.
When has a complicated computer program organised by HM Government worked?
His Honour Lord Parmoor
High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire