Brexiteers’ backing down will all be for nothing when EU rejects May proposals

So the Brexiteers in the Conservative Cabinet have agreed – for the time being – to put their well-paid jobs before their (non-existent) principles and have failed to resign, as they said they would, despite being forced by Theresa May to accept a proposal for what is clearly a quasi-customs Union with the EU.

It’s all a meaningless farce anyway. the european union’ s negotiators have already made it perfectly clear that they will have no truck with such a blatant cherry-picking attempt and there is no doubt that they will simply tell Theresa May to go away and come back with something realistic.

Unfortunately she cannot do that, and so the UK is irrevocably heading for the worst of all possible Brexits, with all the best industries fleeing and exports and imports blocking the harbours at all the new customs posts.

It was going to be “the simplest negotiation possible” according to Michael Gove.

JAMES DUNCAN Rattray Grove, Edinburgh

Keith Howell (Letters, 7 July) misrepresents the SNP position on Brexit. After Scotland voted to Remain, the Scottish Parliament, apart from abstaining Tories, unanimously instructed the Scottish Government to bring forward proposals to protect Scotland’s interests during the Brexit negotiations.

In December 2016 the Scottish Government became the first administration across the UK to publish any serious constructive proposals on how to respond to the Brexit vote, particularly as analysis shows that Scotland, which exports much more per head than the Rest of the UK, will suffer the most following a no-deal Brexit.

Having ignored Nicola Sturgeon’s proposals, Theresa May is now moving towards this position, but without any consideration for our services sector, and a possible Norwaytype solution whereby Westminster has to replicate all EU legislation in order to continue to trade with the EU.

Throughout the process, the UK government has treated Scotland with contempt, and not just the power grab or 15 minutes allowed to debate numerous Lords Brexit amendments affecting devolution.

Now it transpires that even if the Supreme Court rules in favour of the Scottish Parliament’s Continuity Bill, Westminster will use Section 35 of the Scotland Act to overrule the democratic wishes of our parliament.

Last week Westminster endorsed the Claim of Right that enshrines the right of the people of Scotland to determine our constitutional future,so faced with a clear SNP mandate for a referendum, a UK Prime Minister will find it difficult to refuse any future request.

MARY THOMAS

Watson Crescent, Edinburgh

So, as far as the UK government is concerned, we seem to be heading for some kind of “soft” Brexit’ or, as some would have it, for BRINO ( ie, Brexit in name only ).

They won’t be able to say so out loud (and Mike Russell’s comments on TV yesterday didn’t help), but the SNP will be disappointed; they were hoping for a “hard” Brexit or better still, a “no-deal” Brexit so they could stir up resentment which they hope will aid the cause of independence – which is all they care about!