The case for a second vote on Brexit
From: Richard Kimble, Lea Farm Drive, Leeds.
I GROW weary of the constant letters by Brexiteers going on about the democratic outcome of “that” referendum and that the “people” have voted.
Let’s think about the principles of democracy and voting.
Russia is allegedly democratic now but there’s really only one person to vote for – Vladimir Putin – so hardly democratic.
Firstly, voting must be based on accurate, factual, truthful information by all parties. The slogan on the side of “that” bus was not truthful nor accurate. Principle One undermined. People were voting for a lie if they thought they were voting “for” the NHS.
Voting must be based on ethical behaviour by all protagonists. There was nothing ethical in any of the debates I saw or listened to. Arguments for and against were based on lies and any of the eight types of manipulative behaviour, in particular expressing surprise at opponents’ opinions and making promises that couldn’t be kept. Principle two undermined.
Political arguments for or against must be based on theoretical issues and not personality. Principle three undermined. I could go on. That referendum was not democratic and neither was the outcome. That’s why there should be another, observing the proper principles.
From: John Senior, Skelmanthorpe.
AS someone who voted to remain, I respect the result of the referendum which resulted in a majority, albeit a small one, wishing to leave the EU.
As sovereignty lies with Parliament, our MPs had an opportunity to overturn the referendum result, but, afraid of the backlash from the electorate, they voted to trigger Article 50.
Subsequently a large number of our MPs have behaved as if they believed the EU would accept whatever deal the Government put forward. In my view the deal Theresa May has negotiated, by no means ideal, is the best deal the EU will agree to.
Where now does this leave our sovereign Parliament? There seems to be three possibilities
– to stay in the EU, to leave with Mrs May’s deal or to leave with no deal. I don’t think our MPs have the bottle to vote to stay in the EU and so they ought to make up their minds as to whether they want no deal or Mrs May’s deal.
Failure to make up their minds, on this vitally important matter, calls the whole idea of a Parliamentary democracy into question.
From: Dick Lindley, Altofts, Normanton.
MY local MP Yvette Cooper is the apparent ringleader of a group of cross-party, Remain-supporting MPs who are seeking to thwart the democratic wishes or their constituents by devising cunning, anti-democratic manoeuvres to prevent this nation from leaving the EU on March 29.
It is particularly galling to see Yvette Cooper effectively trying to stop us leaving the EU when 69.26 per cent of her constituents, myself included, voted to leave the EU. When the next election happens, I presume that her potential supporters will be asking why she obviously tried to prevent us leaving the EU when the vast majority of her constituents voted to leave.
From: John Van der Gucht, Cross Hills.
BRAVO Speaker Bercow, standing up for the sovereignty of Parliament, as enshrined in the 1611 Bill of Rights.
Parliament must have a say, even if the PM’s tactic of ‘running down the clock’, has effectively left only two options – her deal or no deal. In the future, historians will write about this momentous juncture in our island’s story.
Where is there a Churchillian figure to lead the way?
From: J A King, Thurgoland, Sheffield.
THE Tories are split and Labour doesn’t stand for anything other than to vote against any Tory motion in the faint hope of getting a General Election.
Theresa May is trying to please everyone, being polite and trying to get a favourable deal for both the UK and the EU while the EU negotiators can sit back laughing, knowing that the cash will still keep rolling in to their coffers from us. Mrs May, stop trying to appease everyone. Get some hard-nosed business negotiators on board and let’s get the job done in the interest of us all.