Britain’s constitutional failings must be part of any post-brexit public inquiry

Any public inquiry following this Brexit mess should include the UK’S constitutional arrangements and the resulting distortions.

In the 2015 general election our First-past-the-post (FPTP) voting system allowed David Cameron to form a majority government. Unencumbered by any coalition partners and with only 36.8 per cent of the public vote he was then able to press ahead with the 2016 Brexit referendum.

It is a folly to rely on a simple 50 per cent+1 majority to justify major constitutional change. Other countries require a supermajority (60 per cent, 65 per cent, etc). In 1978 the threshold for the Scottish devolution referendum was 50 per cent+1 and 40 per cent of the total electorate. The actual vote was 52 per cent/48 per cent (a familiar ratio!) but failed to reach the 40 per cent threshold. A second Brexit referendum with 52 per cent/48 per cent the other way round just strengthens this need for a supermajority. Without a clear, unambiguous, preference the status quo should prevail.

The Prime Minister resisted parliamentary sovereignty by refusing a Commons vote on the triggering of Article 50 until overruled by the Supreme Court. She also tried to block MPS from asking the European Court whether the UK had the right to unilaterally cancel Article 50. In 2019 a Prime Minister should not be using Royal Prerogative to act like a president.

And what of the inability of MPS to compromise on a Brexit deal? The Commons is confrontational, with little experience of the collaboration and compromise of coalition governments. Is this yet another by-product of our FPTP voting system?

ROB PEARSON Glamis Place, Dalgety Bay Whether by malign design or cruel accident, it seems the Prime Minister and now the UK parliament in general have in effect become the EU’S “useful idiots” (Joseph Stalin).

The EU doesn’t want to lose the UK and is playing its hand well. It and other Remainers now see a second referendum as the Joker in the pack.

However, there is nothing to be gained by a second Brexit referendum as a large body of Britons continue to show they refuse to accept a decision any other than theirs.

To her eternal credit our elected PM is a Remainer who does honour the outcome and in so doing is quite the opposite of most MPS.

How the EU unelected presidential troika must be chuckling into their vodkas!

TIM FLINN Garvald, East Lothian

It will be fascinating to see what happens if the elections for the European Parliament take place in the UK on 23 May. This will be an opportunity to see how the public respond in the various parts of the country.

The first indication of the mood of the country will be the turnout, which, unless those Leavers who have indicated they will never vote again maintain that position, will hopefully be greater than the 35.6 per cent achieved in 2014.

When the results are declared we will find out if the votes are polarised in different areas, and if particular parties have garnered large support bases which could result in a disproportionate representation if maintained in a firstpast-the post Westminster election, similar to the Scottish result achieved by the SNP in the 2015 election with 56 out of 59 seats.

SANDY GEMMILL Warriston Gardens, Edinburgh