YP Letters: Theresa May's plan is still Brexit '“ but one that works in real world

One reader has written in support of Theresa May's Brexit White Paper. Do you back it?

I WROTE the following letter to the Prime Minister and my local MP because I am impressed with the Chequers agreement, despite having not voted to Leave or for the Conservatives.

“Dear Mrs May, I was gladdened and relieved on July 6 to see the proposals the Cabinet has agreed under your leadership. I found myself vocally supporting your answers to Andrew Marr’s questions on Sunday (which I never do for anyone).

Your Government’s proposal gives this country the best possible Brexit, and does amount to leaving the EU.

Leaving the EU: the proposal gives sovereignty to the UK to make its own decisions, by putting the British Parliament in the position to sovereignly change laws as they see fit.

Some people mistakenly feel the UK is not sovereign unless it controls its circumstances, as well as its own actions.

That is not realistic or reasonable.

The existence of the EU, and the political choices of other countries, not to mention our geographical location, are all naturally beyond the UK’s control; they are the circumstances in which we  will now sovereignly decide  our course of action.

The UK’s policies as a non-EU member: it also proposes to initially make very few actual changes to the laws and  practices currently in place.

This is completely appropriate, because, throughout the referendum debates and  ever since, despite the concept of ‘the EU forcing us to do things’ being important in everyone’s mind, no one has been  suggesting any actual law or practice that they wanted to change.

The only exceptions, namely Boris Johnson’s nonsense about bananas and so forth, are untrue and calculated to mislead.

It is fair to conclude that  the referendum electorate wanted the power to change things, but does not wish that power to be used, for now at least.

It may seem silly to leave the EU if we do not want to change anything.

Personally I decided, on balance, that Britain should continue as a full EU member.

I was also disappointed to see you retain power at the last general election.

However, if the referendum result requires us to leave  the EU, your proposals are by far the best course of action.

This is the first time I  have felt you are providing strong and stable leadership to our country, and long may it continue.”