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I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many MPs in the current parliament who showed exactly the fighting spirit needed to prevent successive Tory administrations from forcing their various Brexits on the country without proper democratic scrutiny. MPs from all parties refused to be bullied and stood up to the government’s threats and dubious rhetoric consistently. They did this in the face of threats to their personal safety and widespread abuse. They showed tremendous moral courage in the circumstances. So I thank them and I thank the speaker for his refusal to be cowed.
Far from being a zombie, stagnant or ineffective parliament, this approach was exactly what was needed to manage the irreconcilable, double “will of the people” expressed in the conflicting scenarios of the narrow, and in my opinion, illegal, 2016 referendum result, and the hung parliament delivered by the 2017 general election. Given that this showed the will of the people to be schizophrenic, what on earth did we expect them to do? Sorry, Boris, cliched strap lines don’t cut it.
The media, especially the BBC, must now ensure that lies and falsehoods are challenged and that the British people are given accurate facts. Another hung parliament looks likely, but hopefully it will be of a different complexion. Perhaps then this nightmare will end.
David Lowndes
Soberton
Beyond Brexit
The idea that the coming election will be only about Brexit is ludicrous.
What is there to say on the subject? The choice is clear: the Tories will implement the hard Brexit negotiated, which sees this country becoming a US satellite, goodbye NHS and welfare state.
Labour means a vote on a new Labour deal or remain. The Lib Dems will revoke Article 50 and the UK remains. What is there to talk about?
Beyond Brexit we have climate catastrophe beckoning, millions going to food banks, the homeless dying on the streets, schools struggling, the NHS creaking and crime on the rise – plenty to talk about there methinks.
Paul Donovan
Wanstead
Referendum, not revoke
I agree with Abigail MacCartney: it is wrong for the Lib Dems to campaign on revoking Article 50. I am just a humble Lib Dem member, but also a longstanding campaigner for a confirmatory referendum. Revoking Article 50 puts us at the same level as the Conservatives, who would impose their hard Brexit if they won a majority in parliament with just about a third of the popular vote.
The Lib Dem policy of revoking Article 50, in the less likely scenario that we won a majority in parliament with a minority vote, is equally wrong and divisive. The real consequence of this policy is making it more difficult to win over the votes of disillusioned Conservatives, and those will be the critical votes.
Neither the Lib Dems nor Labour have the ideal set of Brexit policies: the best way forward is to vote tactically, following, for instance, the Best for Britain recommendations for key constituencies. The best result would be a hung parliament with fewer Conservative MPs but no Labour majority and a stronger Lib Dem party being able to hold the Labour Party to account.
Giuseppe Enrico Bignardi
Durham
Risky tactics
As an ardent Remainer in a strong Tory seat, if I vote for the Brexit Party to reduce the Conservative majority, how will I know if too many others like me are doing the same?
Patrick Cosgrove
Shropshire
Stop researching, start doing
Have I lost my sense of logic?
Your article on 30 October about farming in a 5C warmer Britain by the close of the century ends with the statement by researchers that it needs to be researched further.
Surely the point is we don’t know if the temperature will increase by the extreme amount of 5C, but we do know not only that we have to avoid it but also how to avoid it. So should not the money be spent on actually keeping the temperature rise down to the critical maximum of 2C rather than on more research?
And this on a day when it is reported Donald Trump is returning troops to Syria to “secure the oil”.
Small wonder Greta Thunberg and her youthful followers and Extinction Rebellion – and countless others – are getting so frustrated.
Michael Leighton
Axminster
An end to nastiness
Heidi Allen has hit the nail on the head by highlighting the toxic environment surrounding Brexit. Politics have become so racist, so debilitating, so unhealthy and so corruptive, and she has every reason to worry about her personal safety in the aftermath of Jo Cox’s murder. This forthcoming general election offers us an opportunity to put the genie back into the bottle, electing sincere representatives whose primary job is to fight hunger, poverty, food banks, homelessness, anti-Muslim hatred and antisemitism, and who can after all breathe new life into contemporary politics.
Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob
London
Avarice rap
Millionaire Kanye West is not rapping about Christianity; he’s rapping about money. It’s the “Prosperity Gospel” on steroids, which Matthew, Mark, Luke and John would not recognise or endorse.
Joseph Richard Preville
Detroit, USA
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