Now we realise the reality of Brexit, can we rejoin the single market?

Letters to the editor: our readers share their views. Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

The British public never really got to vote on leaving the single market (AFP via Getty Images)

Thank you Femi Oluwole for reminding us that the British public didn’t vote to leave the single market. That indeed wasn’t on the ballot paper, instead, it was a farcical non–nuanced “Yes/No” decision.

We have spun fairy tales which have now led to the situation we are in now. With no end in sight. So why can’t we rejoin the single market? At least that would be a step in the sane direction and show those right-wingers in the government and beyond that their way was indeed the highway to our punitive economic fortunes. Of course, the pandemic and now the war in Ukraine have had a calamitous effect but no other country appears to want to gratuitously self–harm as much as Britain dies.

More and more people are now realising the downside of Brexit and looking in vain for the upside. The government needs to get its head out of its soul-destroying ideological stance, wise up and be straight with the electorate.

Judith A Daniels

Norfolk

Was Sunak’s accusation an admission of guilt?

Keir Starmer’s jibe during PMQs that Rishi Sunak has shown “how weak he is” by not sacking Nadhim Zahawi over his tax affairs saw him, in turn, accuse Starmer of that old chestnut of being weak for remaining beside Jeremy Corbyn while he was Labour leader.

Both Johnson and Corbyn were elected by their party members with the former also being endorsed as prime minister by voters in the 2019 general election. You could therefore argue that both men were honour-bound to remain loyal to their leaders.

Sunak’s accusation seems to be an admission that he deliberately aimed to force Johnson out by resigning as chancellor of the exchequer in the hope of taking other ministers with him. Otherwise, he risks the proverb, “the pot calling the kettle black” being applied to him for remaining beside a leader, known to be a liability, for longer than he should.  At least Corbyn was principled.

Roger Hinds

Surrey

Can the Tories be trusted with public affairs?

Nadhim Zahawi said he was “careless” in dealing with his tax affairs. In my book, if someone is careless in dealing with their own private affairs they are unfit to be trusted with public affairs. Condemned in his own words. What book does Sunak use?

Tony Shephard

Shropshire

The north-south divide is a failure not only of the government but the opposition too

It beggars belief that the benefits of not having a north/south divide need to be explained to our MPs. Presumably, Mr Burnham wants this inequality enshrined in law as he was part of the last Labour government that increased wealth inequality like the Tories before and since.

Of course, this is not just a failure of the government but also of the opposition and all Northern MPs who have failed to make the argument vociferously and intelligently enough.

It is obvious that the current system of political party governance by divide and rule now does more harm than good. We can only hope the UK demands change and does not vote for those who have failed us nationally and locally.

Richard Whiteside

Halifax

Michael Gove’s defence of Braverman is hypocrisy at its highest rank

Levelling up minister Michael Gove has defended home secretary Suella Braverman’s description of asylum-seekers as an“invasion” – and did so at a Holocaust Memorial day event.

Earlier this month, Braverman was challenged by Holocaust survivor Joan Slater over her choice of language regarding refugees. Braverman has admitted she “dreams” and “obsesses” about deporting refugees to a camp in Rwanda. Joan Slater told her: “When I hear you using words against refugees like ‘swarms’ and an ‘invasion’. I am reminded of language used to dehumanise and justify the murder of my family and millions of others.” Braverman refused to apologise.

At the same ceremony at which Gove defended Braverman’s demonisation of refugees, he also said he hopes the Holocaust Memorial Centre – under construction by parliament – will become a place where people can recommit to “fighting racism and preventing genocide”.

But publicly mourning the victims of the world’s most evil crime, while working to deport asylum-seekers to a concentration camp in Rwanda, is hypocrisy at its highest rank. Victimising asylum-seekers is not the way to keep the promise of “never again”.

Sasha Simic

London