Remainers must guarantee Queen’s status as head of state if we stay in the European Union – Yorkshire Post letters

IF there is to be a second referendum on Brexit, would those advocating Remain please give the following absolute guarantees should Brexit be reversed?

1. The UK will remain an independent sovereign nation, with the Queen and her heirs and successors, remaining head of state with all the constitutional authorities and responsibilities currently held.

2. A democratically-elected British government will be permitted to pass laws which reflect and respect British society, and its beliefs and values, without any interference from the EU, and to decline to accept, and apply, any laws emanating from the EU which conflict with those beliefs and values.

3. The British judiciary, magistracy, police and military will continue to pledge loyalty and allegiance to the Queen and her heirs and successors, and not to any Brussels-based political appointee.

4. UK diplomacy on behalf of Britain and its people will continue to be exercised through British embassies and consulates overseas, and not through the rapidly developing network of EU embassies now established.

5. That the citizens of nations with which the UK has blood ties, and especially those nations which share the Queen as their head of state, be given the same rights of entry into the UK as EU citizens.

Oh, and as a final thought. Despite the Remainers’ assertions, the older ‘Leave’ voters did not do so because of racism or immigration, but because they had voted in 1975 to stay in the Common Market and questions raised back then about the possibility of a politically-unified Europe were dismissed as unjustified fears.

I know because I kept asking the question of politicians at the time. The people were never given the opportunity to vote on the UK’s membership of the EU until the 2016 referendum.

From: Brian Johnston, Rigton Drive, Burmantofts, Leeds.

FOR the time being, Remainers seem to be ascendant, but they should be careful what they wish for. The decision of the PM to resign comes at the worst possible moment for them. The next Tory leader just might be a true Brexiteer with a fresh negotiating team forcing a hard Brexit, and bang goes their cherished second referendum.

Leavers also sit on the horns of a dilemma. If the stalemate endures, a general election may be forced, and then what? Ardent Leavers in the Tory ranks face some stark choices, or even no Brexit at all, but worst of all, the prospect of a hard left Jeremy Corbyn nightmare.

Many of us still believe the stubbornness of the EU can only be broken by walking away onto WTO terms which will certainly then concentrate minds instead of the national humiliation of staying in the EU.

From: John Turley, Dronfield Woodhouse.

SEVERAL correspondents to The Yorkshire Post have stated that they voted to leave the EU without a deal (despite this wording not actually being on the ballot paper).

However, so far, not a single one of them appears to be able to name a leading Brexiteer politician who was actually promoting this before and during the referendum campaign.

On the contrary both the information produced by David Cameron, and the official ‘Vote Leave’ campaign, suggested that if Britain chose to leave the EU, then this would probably involve some sort of deal.

From: Dr Ray Brown, Oaktree Drive, Northallerton.

THE simplest solution to the impasse would be for MPs to vote among these three: leave with the negotiated deal, leave with no deal or remain in the EU.

Those MPs who currently seek for compromise in the form of various alternative “half in-half out” deals are invariably among the vast majority who, in the 2016 referendum, cast a personal vote for Remain.

Unfortunately the Government’s policy of running down the clock means that the EU will need to grant a delay, long enough for a people’s vote to be held, but any alternative to my proposed solution is unlikely to provide a long-term resolution to the UK-EU relationship.

My own preference is not strong for any particular Brexit outcome: my only concern is that democracy and peace should triumph over hypocrisy and confused thinking.

From: Philip Watts, Carr Lane, Willerby.

PAUL Muller is yet another who arrogantly states that ‘the people did not know what they were voting for’ (The Yorkshire Post, April 4). I knew exactly what I was voting for. Economically as important as the EU is, there is a whole world market out there. We may suffer a setback initially but a price worth paying as I believe the long term prospects to be good.

Also, apart from the EU’s undemocratic and corrupt nature, I was strongly opposed to its federalist ambitions and their desire for an EU army. Given the UK would be expected to play a significant part, the inevitable consequence would be the disintegration of Nato. If that came to pass, we would quickly discover what real trouble is.

From: Peter Bye, Park Crescent, Addingham.

IF there is another referendum, what will the question be? How many questions? I have seen up to five mentioned. If it should take place, no matter what the result is, it will be for Parliament to act on it. This is the very same Parliament, with the same politicians, who will interpret the result however they feel appropriate. Am I missing something?

From: JG Riseley, Harcourt Drive, Harrogate.

WERE there an EU army, its charioteers might even now be pursuing us along a gap which had opened across the English Channel.

From: Coun Tim Mickleburgh (Lab), Boulevard Avenue, Grimsby.

GIVEN the recent behaviour of our MPs over Brexit, I’m sure any party would gain votes by promising to halve their salaries.