YP Letters: Brexit referendum was no ordinary race

Is the Government falling apart over Brexit?

BARRIE Crowther (The Yorkshire Post, June 6) is totally out of order to suggest that a sports result is equivalent to a political result.

With all respect to Usain Bolt, his win in any race would not determine the prosperity of our nation nor the future of our children and grandchildren.

The Brexit vote might have been won by a hairs breadth, but if normal statistical standards were applied it was ‘not significant’.

That is why Leavers have no divine right to insist on Brexit. And last week’s YouGov survey reports that only 40 per cent of people still support Brexit, whilst 47 per cent think it is simply ‘wrong’.

Meanwhile, one can only assume that Nick Martinek (The Yorkshire Post, June 6) acquired his reasoning skills in the propaganda department of a totalitarian state.

How else could he interpret President Donald Trump’s tariffs and potential trade war as positive for Brexit?

From: John Turley, Dronfield Woodhouse.

BARRIE Crowther hits the nail on the head when he likens the results of the EU referendum to a two-horse race in which Leave won by a short head, but then goes on to say that out is out, not half in.

However, if you look at the voting patterns in both the referendum and the subsequent 2017 General Election (in which more people voted for political parties that favoured a soft Brexit or no Brexit, rather than a hard Brexit), the latter arrangement would actually best reflect these voting patterns.

Instead of being magnanimous and seeking compromises, the Brexit politicians have tried to push the boundaries out further by claiming that the outcome of the referendum was a decisive victory for a hard Brexit, and insisted that was what 17.4 million had voted for, despite the evidence that a significant number of those who voted Leave did so for reasons other than being passionate about leaving the EU.

From: DS Boyes, Upper Rodley Lane, Leeds.

WHY do we cling to the idea or principle that we somehow live in a United Kingdom? Discrimination exists on health, education and care of the elderly. The legal systems have many variations. When the Republic of Ireland has had to accept divorce, same-sex marriage and now abortion as a result of various referenda, it seems bizarre that Northern Ireland has so many different laws to conflict with mainstream public opinion.