Why I think Britain is like an occupied country in the EU – Yorkshire Post letters

OCCUPIED country? The Prime Minister goes begging bowl in hand to kindly ask the EU for their kind permission to leave the Union.

She asks for an extension no longer than the end of June. They demand a year. They add conditions as they contemplate more than £39bn for their coffers. They still expect us to defend them, to subsidise their defence. They humiliate us. They will not allow us to affect their decision making.

In the meantime they prepare to trade us as a commodity in a world in which we can make no decisions for our country.

Their governments make all our future decisions and we are not allowed a voice. Some call this a vassal state. I call this an occupied country run by Quislings.

From: David Cragg-James, Stonegrave, York.

MIGHT I again impose upon the courtesy of your columns to attempt an answer to Robert Bottamley (The Yorkshire Post, April 9).

He suggests that I am wrong in claiming that the electorate is now better informed concerning the likely effects of exit from the EU.

My point was carelessly made and would perhaps better be expressed as an assertion that at least the facts concerning such an eventuality are more easily accessible than then, the electorate’s will more likely therefore to be informed.

For their part, MPs are torn on one hand between the mantric “will of the people” as expressed in the referendum, and on the other their awareness that the benefits of leaving are at least questionable, the size of the majority so slender, their own judgement so opposed. Hence their confusion and impotence.

From: Dr David Hill CEO, World Innovation Foundation, Huddersfield.

WHAT we have witnessed since 2016 is some of the best Oscar-award wining acting that we shall all ever see, but our MPs have always sold their souls and the people down the river to the highest bidder and always will.

It is in their psyche to be like this as history has shown very well. Unfortunately people never learn and, as a new generation emerges, they are not wise to what has happened before in the past.

That, of course, is what the politicians thrive on and of course know very well. We have all been conned if truth be told, but few will ever realise this? All the above will be proven when, as will happen, the UK does not – in theory and practice – come out of the EU.

From: John Turley, Dronfield Woodhouse.

AMAZINGLY, despite the events of the last couple of weeks, Charles Lawson (The Yorkshire Post, April 11) continues to peddle the same old Brexiteer myth that if Britain had threatened the EU with No Deal, then they would have come running to us offering a more favourable deal.

In point of fact Theresa May had to go down on one knee to the EU, and humiliating the country in the process, by begging them not to eject us with No Deal on April 12.

From: Ken Cooke, Ilkley.

BREXITEER logic continues to amaze me. AJA Smith (The Yorkshire Post, April 11) suggests our nation’s future can be decided like the Grand National. He should understand that the Grand National will be run again next year – and every year – and that Tiger Roll will race again until he loses.

From: Jarvis Browning, Main Street, Fadmoor, York.

DELAY, what an utter disgrace. There is nothing to agree with at the moment. just get out without a deal, then we can renegotiate trading agreements after. That is all we ask for. Simple as that.

From: Ruthven Urquhart, High Hunsley, Cottingham.

AS the daughter of a most devoted priest, I would like to hope that our stubborn, yet steadfast PM, can soon rely on at least some degree of divine intervention to help her gain an acceptable conclusion to this boring Brexit business.

From: Barrie Crowther, Walton, Wakefield.

IF we had just left the EU on March 29, we would have avoided the turmoil and the astronomical payments to a set up which cannot even balance its books.

Cheerleader for fossil fuel

From: Mrs June Smith, Pottergate, Helmsley, York.

IT was indeed inspiring to see our MP Kevin Hollinrake supporting the owner of a business which has been shortlisted for an award for tackling environmental issues partaking in a “plastic free” week and an exhibition entitled ‘Our Earth,’ reflecting on the damage that climate change is causing.

Yet our MP continues to be a ‘cheerleader’ for the fossil fuel industry which is poised to industrialise our beloved Ryedale with 10 well pads per 100 kilometres. In a recent House of Commons debate on permitted development and shale gas exploration, Mr Hollinrake said he was on a ‘slightly different page from other people in this debate’. Well Kevin, it is now time to get on the same page as the rest of us and support renewable energy and, as you said, ‘be part of the effort to leave a legacy for future generations that we can all be proud of’.

An equivalent for Yorkshire

From: Stephen Smith, Wellesley Avenue, Hull.

I SEE that the Scottish Parliament continues to speak up for people living and working north of the border. Please could someone tell me when Yorkshire will get its own mayor so this county can start to assert its influence.