YP Letters: Give 16-year-olds a say in second Brexit vote

From: James Bovington, Church Grove, Horsforth, Leeds.
Brexit continues to polarise opinion.Brexit continues to polarise opinion.
Brexit continues to polarise opinion.

IF Judy Goodwin thinks that Brexit is a dog’s dinner, I ask why she is so keen to leave the banqueting house that is the EU (The Yorkshire Post, December 12).

Of course, it is no such thing but your correspondent has written the typical Eurosceptic nonsense about Britain having to accept every ‘law and diktat’ from the EU over the past 45 years even when it had a negative effect.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

There is rarely a specific example from them that can be attributed to the EU.

While I have some sympathy about the EU fishing policy, it is true that other countries have had major problems with fishing and Canada even closed down its fishing industry for a while, so this isn’t EU-specific.

I am aghast that our Prime Minister appears to be casually throwing away our right and more importantly that of our young people to live, work and study across the continent and to shape its future.

Any second referendum should also give voice to 16 to 17-year-olds.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Many of these students are currently being asked to determine their future by applying to university. It seems only fair that they should be given the opportunity to voice their desire to enjoy the same rights as other young Europeans, the same rights that all in Northern Ireland will retain under the ‘deal’.

I predict that 20 million UK citizens would vote to remain. Give us the final say.

From: John Van der Gucht, Clayton Hall Road, Cross Hills.

THE Second World War is once again invoked by Brexiteers in the form of the Battle of Britain.

The EU is the legacy of the peace forged after the Second World War. Originally, France again wanted to punish Germany, before the founders of the European project came up with the plan to tie France and Germany together, firstly in a trading union, but with the specific aim for greater political union. There was nothing stealthy about it.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Elsewhere, Dr Williams (The Yorkshire Post, December 10) writes of the myth of the ‘Northern Powerhouse’. The two issues are linked. Margaret Thatcher’s experiment with monetarist economic policy in the 80s, and the consequent accelerated de-industrialisation, abandoned Northern heartlands.

Despite our rise to be the world’s fourth or fifth ‘biggest’ economy, these areas have largely been neglected. No wonder so many voted to Leave. But is the light at the end of the Brexit tunnel the promised ‘sunny uplands’ – or just the lights of an oncoming train?

From: David Gray, Liversedge.

THE article by Angela Smith MP (The Yorkshire Post, December 10) on the case for a People’s Vote is unacceptable in concept.

Her last paragraph suggests two options – are the proposed terms what you envisaged and should we stay in the EU?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Any Brexiteer would have to say no to both. That would lead to either them not voting at all or to spoil papers, thus Remainers running away with their objective of reversing the 2016 vote. That is not democracy and she should not suggest it is.

From: F Ward, Leeds.

I HOPE that when the next election comes around those who intend to vote Labour look at the record of Jeremy Corbyn.

When we see Mr Corbyn in Parliament defending Vladimir Putin and the Russians over the poisoning of a former spy in Salisbury, it shows where his sympathies lie.

He has taken part in pro-IRA demonstrations and calls the Palestinian terrorists ‘friends’. The anti-Semitic views of a portion of the Labour Party are well-documented.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Corbyn is against the nuclear deterrent for this country, a fact that would leave us with no defence. Here is a man who would run or ruin this great country of ours.

If by any misfortune Mr Corbyn is elected, my first action will be to buy a Russian phrase book.

Aid could be better spent

From: Peter Hyde, Driffield.

ONCE again, we are in the season of begging letters. Most of them are very worthwhile causes we are asked to support. Sadly only the rich can do so and we mere mortals have to be selective with our donations.

If David Cameron had not ring-fenced foreign aid, perhaps some of the money thrown away to other nations could be used to alleviate the desperate need of the homeless here in the UK?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Our current leaders are forever cutting funding to the services here and placing 
further burdens on local authorities when perhaps the work of the Department for International Development be required to take a second place 
to the needs here.

Others ignore pollution

From: Tim Bradshaw, Slaithwaite, Huddersfield.

ONCE again the UK is being a martyr over global warming and emissions. We impose draconian limits to try and save the world, but fail to see how little impression we can make due to the levels of pollution created by India, China, Russia, the US and Poland to name but a few.

Why do we have so much of a conscience to help other countries when they ignore the problems they are causing?

Scope for
improvement

From: Matthew Smith, Hillsborough, Sheffield.

THE news that Age UK is to invest in the former coach house in Hillsborough Park is wonderful.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The library building near it is of equal historical value and importance and used to house an art gallery in addition to the library.

I wondered if it would be possible to use the upstairs of the library for an art space and if there could be Heritage Lottery Fund money?