Sir, – May I start by saying that I think Brexit is a terrible idea and will cause untold damage to the UK. But a referendum was held and they voted to leave.
I am very concerned at the narrative that is prevalent in both Irish and UK media that those who voted for Brexit were either crazy or stupid. This is a very dangerous disconnect between the general population and the political class. I believe that if an election is held in the UK , Boris Johnson will return with a large majority. This idea is almost never mentioned on any TV debates or newspapers.
We are in the territory of the Trump victory in the US. In 2016 the American electorate and mainstream politics had become completely disconnected. The fracture was so bad that they were prepared to choose such a ghastly alternative for president, simply because they had lost faith in everything else.
The EU needs to try and learn from Brexit and avoid the whole European experiment collapsing.
:fill(white):background_color(white)/static.themebuilder.aws.arc.pub/irishtimes/1647534191476.png)
Brexit need to be understood, not just opposed. – Yours, etc,
JAMES FOX,
Dublin 18.
Sir, – Has Boris Johnson converted his party from One Nation Tories to one notion Tories? – Yours, etc,
FRANK WALSH,
Coolballow,
Co Wexford.
Sir, – I detect an Amber light flashing for Boris.– Yours, etc,
BRENDAN
KEARNEY,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – Rather than seek an extension to Brexit, the British prime minister Boris Johnson would prefer to “die in a ditch”. In the circumstances the Taoiseach has missed a tourism opportunity by failing to provide a suitable ditch for Boris in Ossory. – Yours, etc,
KEVIN O’SULLIVAN,
Letterkenny,
Co Donegal.
Sir, – As a passionate supporter of Brexit, I find it difficult to understand the response of those who oppose the proroguing of parliament.
Their claim is that the prime minister has attempted to destroy democracy in the UK.
I’m amazed that they could make such a claim, considering the very fundamental principle of democracy was grossly undermined by politicians who actually obstructed the mandate they were given by the electorate.
If that does not signal the death of democracy in the UK, then I don’t know what does. – Yours, etc,
PAUL O’BEIRNE,
Beaumont,
Dublín 9.
Sir, – Desperate times may or may not lead people to call for desperate measures, but as sure as Brexit is Brexit, desperate measures will lead to desperate times. – Yours, etc,
COLIN WALSH,
Templeogue,
Dublin 6W.
Sir, – How the tables have turned since Ian Paisley’s comment that the “people in Northern Ireland are British but the cows are Irish”. We’re now close to the point where the cows may shortly be very British, and more and more unionists – even with some DUP backing – are discovering their Irishness, via a passport application. – Yours, etc,
DONAL CAREY,
Antibes,
France.
Sir, – At least the choice will be clear at the forthcoming British general election.
If you want Brexit: vote Conservative.
If you want to remain: vote Lib Dem.
If you haven’t a clue: vote Labour. – Yours, etc,
Dr JOHN DOHERTY,
Stratford-upon-Avon,
Warwickshire, England.
A chara, – Should we be alarmed if someone assures us that Brexit will be over by Christmas? – Is mise,
DERMOT O’ROURKE,
Lucan ,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – I have read many pundits and commentators who repeatedly call for our Government to change and soften its stance on the Brexit backstop as detailed in the Withdrawal Agreement. They intimate that our Government has the power to effect a change in the Withdrawal Agreement by means of bilateral negotiations with the UK government. In all their articles, no coherent alternative to the backstop has been described. They might consider the following before they comment any further.
The backstop is a British government proposal.
It was designed to concurrently reconcile the need to protect both the EU single market and the present open border between the Republic and Northern Ireland as agreed under Belfast Agreement.
The backstop agreement is between the UK and the EU only.
The Irish Government has no EU mandate to agree unilaterally any matter pertaining to the UK/EU agreement.
The present border between the Republic and Northern Ireland will no longer be an internal border between two members of the EU. It will be a border between the EU and an external third country, with all that entails. – Yours, etc,
MAURICE CURTIN,
Cork.