YP Letters: Democracy is in danger if the rich and powerful hold sway

Theresa May called the June 8 election because of Brexit.

IT is reported that Jeremy Hosking, the multi-millionaire asset-manager, gave £1.5m to the Vote Leave campaign. He now plans to dish out further large sums of money hoping to unseat Labour MPs who voted Remain and replace them with MPs who are signed up for hard Brexit.

All this raises serious questions about the safety of our democracy. Should the rich and the powerful be in a position to over-influence electoral outcomes? Whatever happened to “one man one vote”?

The narrow 52:48 result of last June’s vote was achieved by an unholy alliance of wealthy buccaneer capitalists (like Hosking), social conservatives and a section of the less well educated electorate. The last were sadly taken in by the lies and distortions of the Brexit leadership. Misleading information that played on fears of immigration was particularly effective.

The fact that Leave won the day does not mean that it was a good decision. It was a profoundly poor decision, costing us hugely in the long run. Sadly social classes D and E are likely to suffer worst.

At what point will reality break in? Who will have the courage to insist on rethinking the direction of travel?

From: Jean Lorriman, Waterloo, Huddersfield.

WHILE I could never describe myself as a Theresa May supporter, I thought that her Christian and relatively humble background, and all-inclusive sincere speech as she entered Number 10, could possibly improve life for the many who are struggling and even relying on food banks.

However, her arrogance and pride in being “a bloody difficult woman” with her enormous necklace ensconced around her neck has placed me firmly in the Corbyn camp. How can anyone think of bringing back the cruelty of fox hunting while the whole world seems to be in turmoil and when there are so many critical issues to deal with?

From: Edna Austin, Goole.

I CANNOT understand Theresa May, as a practising Christian, supporting an act to hunt wild animals, especially foxes.

When she is in church singing “All Things Bright and Beautiful, All Creatures Great and Small”, does she think at all what these words imply? Just wondered!

From: David Brooke, Malton.

IF Theresa May is such a strong and stable leader, why did she call this vanity election?