A scandal that Yorkshire has same number of MEPs as little Luxembourg as Brexit debate deepens – Yorkshire Post letters

From: Tim Hunter, Farfield Avenue, Knaresborough.
Brexit continues to polarise political opinion.Brexit continues to polarise political opinion.
Brexit continues to polarise political opinion.

WITH attention starting to focus on possible European elections in the UK, it is worth considering the undemocratic allocation of MEPs.

Ireland has 11 MEPs, and will get two more if Brexit happens. So, that’s currently 11 MEPS for five million people.

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However, Yorkshire has a population of over five million and yet it only gets six MEPs. In fact – we get the same number of MEPs as Luxembourg, which has a population of just 600,000. Five large member countries (including the UK) contribute 70 per cent of the budget of the EU.

Small countries, such as Ireland (and Luxembourg), are getting a lot of representation for very little contribution, which probably explains their enthusiasm for the EU project.

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

AREN’T our MPs out campaigning in the local elections? For, if they were, they’d know that public is fed up with our elected representatives, with the result that more than ever won’t bother voting on May 2. If our overpaid Parliamentarians can’t be trusted to enact the wishes of the people as shown in a national referendum, is it any wonder that they have lost faith in the democratic process?

From: William Rees, Boroughbridge.

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IN The Yorkshire Post on Monday we were urged to hold a second referendum by Andrew Adonis (The Yorkshire Post, April 15). The following day it was Andrew Vine’s turn to try to persuade us that another referendum would be justified. Can I support their proposal, but on one condition? Given that we voted to leave the EU in 2016 and then voted for parties that pledged to support the referendum result in the 2017 general election, the appropriate course of action now is to hold a second referendum which sets out the two alternatives as ‘no deal’ or Theresa May’s proposed withdrawal deal. Remaining in the EU shouldn’t be on the ballot, given that we have already decided to leave it. I wonder whether Messrs Adonis and Vine would be prepared to support a second referendum in those circumstances.

From: John Wallace, Colville Gardens, Lightwater.

PLEASE God that someone takes over soon from Theresa May. Even Larry the Downing Street cat could not have made such a dog’s breakfast of Brexit as the Prime Minister.