A weary Christmas-shopping Brexit that irrationally spends our £39 billion on the wrong thing

SIR – There has been a build-up of scaremongering, with talk of cliff edges and crashing out, mostly by Remainers, civil servants and the Establishment.

The Prime Minister, with a history of being an indecisive, half-in half-out person, is heading for an agreement with the EU that will make us worse off in the long term. But, having paid our £39 billion, we will have lost our leverage in negotiations.

Approaching December, I feel that the Brexit negotiations are taking on the aspect of weary seasonal shopping. Faced with indecision and pressure to buy something, one is sometimes tempted to make an irrational choice just to get out of the shop, only to regret it later.

In the case of the UK, even with a receipt for our money, there can be no exchange or money back. James Thacker

Tanworth-in-arden, Warwickshire

SIR – Does Theresa May even remember the referendum result or ever saying: “No deal is better than a bad deal”? Tony Burch

Marlborough, Wiltshire

SIR – Am I alone in being thoroughly irritated by politicians who say their decision is “right for the country”? Mrs May’s deal surely flouts the democratic integrity of her office.

She seems to have learnt nothing from her disastrous election campaign, when she similarly relied on the advice of unelected advisers. It should be no surprise that her Brexit deal has met with such widespread opposition. David Rammell

Everton, Hampshire

SIR – Tom Peck (Letters, November 23) says that no British soldiers died for Leave or Remain. Sir Bill Cash (Letters, November 22) didn’t say they had. He said they died for our “control over our laws and our democracy” – as true as any simple historical statement can be.

As a member of the EU, we don’t have this, and under Mrs May’s proposed deal we wouldn’t have this. Mr Peck is entitled to believe (as a good few do) that we are better off unfree, but he is not entitled to distort what Sir Bill said. Stephen Cansick

London N14

SIR – If an example is needed of the EU’S interference in the UK’S business, then it is surely the “frustrating and bewildering” ruling from Brussels that prevents the UK from allowing power plants to remain open to balance supply (Business, November 15).

This edict threatens the amount of back-up power that companies can make over winter. This is our energy security, for heaven’s sake. Neil Bunyan

Flitwick, Bedfordshire

SIR – I had thought David Cameron was the worst prime minister in living memory. Just when you think things couldn’t get worse... Chris North

Bozeat, Northamptonshire SIR – Could somebody please explain to Theresa May that leadership is about getting people to follow you? Dr Colin Price

Loughborough, Leicestershire

SIR – Theresa May’s desire to do whatever she can to make the people in charge in Brussels pleased with her withdrawal plan reminds me of the character of Colonel Nicholson, played by Sir Alec Guinness, in the film The Bridge on the River Kwai.

I only hope she also emulates Colonel Nicholson by having the decency, in her final scene, to do the right thing, by throwing herself figuratively on to the plunger, and blowing the whole bloody thing up. Stuart Cleary

Cranbrook, Kent

SIR – When the story of Brexit is finally made into an epic film may I suggest the title? Bin Her. Mike Kaye

Lincoln