Brexit Britain jingoism insults Irish – Yorkshire Post Letters

DOES Bill Carmichael (The Yorkshire Post, February 5) really believe that the reasons preventing a UK-Ireland partnership are ‘‘emotional and irrational’’?

If so, then his article is typical of the British Empire mindset of Brexiteers who exaggerate this country’s importance, failing to grasp that others in these islands feel justified in choosing a pan-European future rather than the inward-looking, nostalgic project that is Brexit, with its xenophobic and jingoistic overtones.

Let’s put to one side the less than ideal shared history of the two islands and also the fact that many Irish people resent Britain’s continued presence in north-east Ireland as if the Irish are incapable of running their own affairs.

Just what is there about Brexit Britain that could possibly be attractive to educated young Irish people when Brexit has callously deprived their British counterparts of the life-enhancing benefits of freedom of movement so cherished by countless Irish citizens including many from Northern Ireland?

Ongoing disruption to trade from Brexit bureaucracy was well described in these august columns last Saturday. Road Haulage Association chief executive Richard Burnett has highlighted a 60 per cent drop in UK/EU trade as some UK companies had halted exports to the EU. He criticised the minister responsible, Michael Gove, and stated how frustrating and annoying it was that ministers hadn’t listened to industry experts. This isn’t something that the Irish need worry about and neither will the Scots when they set themselves free from Brexit Britain.

From: Paul Morley, Long Preston, Skipton.

I HAVE banked with Santander for many years following them taking over Abbey National and the debit/credit cards have always been Visa. Last week I received notification that the bank was changing to MasterCard. I now see that MasterCard is to increase its transaction fees five-fold for British customers buying online from EU businesses. It seems they will stoop to any depths to make us suffer for leaving the EU.

From: Howard Rainbow, Stanley, Wakefield.

I SEE the EU has thrown its toys out of the pram. In banning our shellfish from their markets, its actions also harm their own fishmongers by leaving them with no shellfish to sell.

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