British belief in democracy may disappear if Brexit is not delivered: Yorkshire Post Letters

A letter writer worries for the future of British democracy if Brexit does not happen. Photo: PA/House of Commons

Your columnist Jayne Dowle made a heartfelt plea for an end to the acrimony and division stemming from the Brexit referendum (The Yorkshire Post, October 21). She then rather spoilt matters by expressing her disagreement both with the result of that referendum and the attempts to put that result into effect.

May I say that something far more important than half a dozen Brexits is at stake now. That is the survival of the belief in democracy in this nation.

Ever since virtually every adult, regardless of gender or social standing, has been entitled to vote, there has been a fondly cherished understanding that every vote has equal value.

It has also been understood that no matter who casts the winning votes the result shall be accepted by the losers. That is no longer the case.

We appear to be in a most unfortunate and dangerous situation in which the losing side in the referendum seem to be arguing that the result can be ignored on the grounds that the people who voted to ‘leave’ must obviously be mistaken and/or unable to understand the issues involved.

Thus there is no requirement to accept defeat.

As a consequence belief in democracy may well disappear and be replaced with contempt for any institution that claims to be democratically elected.

It is in such a febrile atmosphere that divided nations turn to extremists and despots.

From: Jarvis Browning, Fadmoor, York.

If THE MPs were behaving like this in a business, that company would be bust and out of business very quickly. It’s time they started to think about what we voted for, not to try and overturn it for their own sake! That is not what we’ve asked for, we’re not getting value for money here.

From: Brian H Sheridan, Lodge Moor, Sheffield.

Too often I find people using the pronoun “we” when expressing their own personal view.

I resent Peter Flesher’s assumption that, like him, I think that “Sir Oliver Letwin, Dominic Grieve, Philip Hammond, Anna Soubry, Jo Swinson and Nicola Sturgeon should be exiled to a desert island”, even if I did (The Yorkshire Post, October 23). Nor would I want to visit the same fate on Jacob Rees-Mogg and other arch-Brexiters just because I disagree with them.

Sadly, your correspondent’s letter shows the level to which the debate on Brexit can sink.