YP Letters: Brexit views are verging on hysteria

EVERYTHING to do with Brexit seems to be becoming more and more intense, and verging on hysteria, regardless of location and viewpoint.

The plain fact is that a democratic vote was held, with the result based upon a simple majority.

It is a pity that the other 27 members of the EU, or at least those that have spoken out so far, seem reluctant to accept the outcome of a democratic vote. Might this have something to do with the fact that a democratic vote was not possible for significant parts of the 20th century in 17 member states as they were under some form of dictatorial government?

The ‘Remainers’ within the UK are fortunate not to have suffered from the political extremes the way many of our fellow Europeans did in the past.

What needs to be borne in mind is that in two years, 20 years or 2,000 years, we will still be part of the continent of Europe. It is a really great place to be born, to grow up, to live and to work.

Just because we have voted to leave the EU is no reason for politicians in the UK, or within the other 27 member states, to stir up alarm and despondency.

From: David Pickering, Gloucester Road, Stonegravels, Chesterfield.

ISN’T it about time we got behind Theresa May and the country? She is trying to do a difficult job under impossible circumstances – trying to negotiate for us to leave the EU, a totalitarian dictatorship regime.

Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party displaying its true colours, marching in front of Communist banners. Just what we need. How could we trust these people to run our cuntry?

We are approaching the 2020s. Do we really want to return back 50 years to the winters of discontent with endless people left with no electricity? Tim Farron also trying to pull the country down. The Lib Dems are the party of referenda. The only problem is that they never accept the result.

We have fought two world wars, a small country standing alone in the most part, but our strong resolve and our bulldog spirit carried us through. Now we need to stand strong again.

From: Gordon Lawrence, Sheffield.

I MUST admire the amazing tenacity of John Cole (The Yorkshire Post, April 27) in trying to run down Britain. He never fails to come up trumps in deliberately attempting to sabotage Theresa May’s negotiations in vital Brexit talks. It’s a good job that he wasn’t around in 1940.

But it’s now the economy that John Cole is trying to denigrate. This in spite of a recent independent economic survey that repudiates nine out of 10 of the Remain lobby’s dire predictions of pre-June 23 that would have been, by now, inflicted on our economy, if, as they asserted, we chose the unthinkable and voted to leave the EU.

Here are a few truths about the economy. Government borrowing, in 2016-17, fell by £20bn to £53bn; employment highest on record; unemployment lowest since 2008 and second-lowest in EU; growth one of the highest in all the EU countries. There’s no doubt that some tough challenges await the economy, but John Cole and his Lib Dem henchmen should get a sharper trowel to scrape the bottom of the barrel in their quest to cast the most pessimistic outlook on Brexit Britain.

From: Arthur Quarmby, Mill Moor Road, Meltham.

MEMBERS of the EU seem to be uttering lots of threats and penalties which are to be imposed on Britain for daring to wish to leave it.

Those members might do well to remember who came to the rescue of Europe from the tyranny of occupation by its leading member on not one but two occasions. We did not think to charge them for it.

And if some enormous fine is planned to be imposed, what will they do if we simply refuse to pay? Do they then plan to attack us?

From: Thomas W Jefferson, Batty Lane, Howden, Goole.

AT last, some clarity from the Lib Dems on their policy of holding a referendum on the eventual Brexit agreement. Nick Clegg (The Yorkshire Post, May 4) says we will have a straight choice: accept the deal or reject it and stay in the EU.

But there is no certainty that we can just decide to stay in the EU, so we would be making ourselves a hostage to fortune. If the EU did agree to allow us to remain, can we be sure we wouldn’t have to take a “punishment beating” for having caused so much bother, and would this take the form of having to agree to give up some of our opt-outs on the euro etc?

From: Hilary Andrews, Nursery Lane, Leeds.

IT’S good to read some sense from Tim Martin, chairman of JD Wetherspoon (The Yorkshire Post, May 4) regarding the gloomy advice often given to the Government by the Confederation of British Industry.

Of course we should be prepared to trade on World Trade Organisation rules and, if necessary, abolish import tariffs unilaterally.

If the EU negotiating team persist in their bullying tactics without being able to give us any audited accounts, we may be better off ditching any talks with them at all.

Legally we can walk away without paying them any money at all, and they know it.

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

REGARDLESS of the outcomes last week, I believe that all local council elections should be non-political – elect the local person best to run the county or council to local needs.

Anything political should be dealt with by your MP. Was this not how it used to be run in the past? Just like the EU which originally was for trade only, now it is too political.