Theresa May has signed a deal that no other country in the world would accept

I have to disagree with your editorial (“A week is a long time in politics for May”, 24 November) in which you say that it is nonsensical to claim that Mrs May could have negotiated stronger terms in the Withdrawal Agreement.

The truth is that she made no attempt to do so. She allowed the EU to dictate the course of the negotiations and agreed to pay huge sums of money early on in return for nothing.

She has made no serious preparations for a No-deal outcome and made it clear that she would never contemplate that.

As a result, the negotiations became a series of humiliating concessions as the EU knew she would never walk away. It has either been the most incompetent negotiation in history or an elaborate charade designed to come up with the complete opposite of Brexit.

The outcome is one that no other country in the world wouldaccept–thatwebecome a colony of the EU forced to accept its laws and regulations for years to come, over which we will have no say, paying heavily for the privilege and only allowed to escape with the EU’S consent.

If this happens it will result in endless bitterness, conflict and uncertainty.

JOHN HUNT York Road, North Berwick

I have been avoiding all news sources, proceedings in Brussels being so distressing.

In March last year, as the talented, yet visionless bureaucrat we have as Prime Minister signed Article 50, Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, said they were missing us already. I am missing them already and I am far from being alone.

Those who voted in the 2016 referendum are, through a tiny majority, changing all our lives for the worse. But this is how the vote went and we must leave.

But we did not know exactly what we were voting for. There must be a clarificatory vote. Any future referendum has to recognise that our system demonstrated a desire to leave the EU, to challenge that would create much mayhem.

There should be a two-stage referendum to clear the air. The first stage should offer three options: Theresa May’s deal or World Trade Organisation rules alone or asking to rejoin EFTA (with or without staying in the EEA); the second stage, a fortnight later, would ask us to decide between the two options with the highest vote in the first stage. I would vote for EFTA and staying in the EEA.

I do not know which would come top, but we could all feel that we had been involved in moulding our futures intelligently and fairly.

MIKE BARTLETT

Brù, Isle of Lewis

I am sure, like many others. we would like to bang some heads together in this never-ending soap opera of Brexit.

In the Westminster bubble filled with career politicians Tory brexiteers are acting like spoilt children who did not get everything they wanted for Christmas. Jeremy Corbyn wants to be Prime Minister, but goodness knows what his party wants. The Liberals are pretending to respect the referendum while wanting a “People’s Vote”– funnily enough, it was people in the polling booth when I voted two years ago. The DUP want to be important while the SNP want independence.

They say they are representing their constituents. Hands up, everyone in the real world, who has been asked by their MP? The most sensible voice I heard through all the noise was that of a prominent Leave campaigner in Scotland. His side had not expected to win, so they had got far more than they ever hoped for.

No side can get everything in a negotiation, so it is time to have a deal and move on.

DORIS M H DUFF Belmont Gardens, Edinburgh

On Saturday Nicola Sturgeon put her bunnet in the ring and tweeted: “I can’t speak for @ jeremycorbyn, but I’d be up for a full leaders debate on the ‘deal’. So, how about it PM @ theresa_may?”

But this isn’t a general election TV debate where convention would let her make up the numbers. A Corbyn/may debate is a genuine opportunity for people to hear the only two leaders that count.

Sturgeon’s shenanigans over the past two years have rendered her irrelevant. Her Brexit “strategy” is a blatant, futile tactic to get Indyref2 and she’s continually blown opportunities to responsibly influence the debate and outcome.

The SNP will call it “ignored” and “disrespected”. In truth, the shine has come of this political saint. No amount of bobbing up and down outside Broadcasting House whining “pick me! pick me!” will work – hopefully.

ALLAN SUTHERLAND Willow Row, Stonehaven

Does anyone know if UK sportsmen and sportswomen will be eligible to compete in European Championship tournaments such as football, athletics, swimming, skating, golf etc, after Brexit?

JAMES STEVENSON Drummond Avenue,

Auchterarder