ES Views: We need compromises to help us cope with Brexit

Have your say Twitter: @esviews Email: esviews@standard.co.uk
4 July 2017
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It appears that the nation continues to be divided on Brexit. The fact that the deeply divided Tory and Labour parties received 80 per cent of the vote in the general election should not be taken as evidence that Remainers have changed their minds.

I voted Labour in my marginal constituency as the Labour candidate was pro-EU and the Conservative candidate supported Brexit. If the positions of the Tory and Labour candidate on the EU had been reversed, I would have voted Tory. I am certain that I am not the only Remainer who voted this way.

It is common knowledge that opinion polls are unreliable but I doubt there has been a major change in the opinion of voters since the referendum a year ago. As such, with an almost evenly divided country, we need to find a compromise.

It seems inevitable that Britain will leave the EU but perhaps we could stay in the European Economic Area or at least in the customs union. I think most Remainers would be happy to accept a deal of this kind.

We need to find a solution so that the country is unified as we head towards Brexit.
Pierre Royan


It is a myth that Labour Remainers were solely based in London and its suburbs [“We fudged Brexit at the election, at some point it will be a dividing issue”, June 30].

In fact, there were some constituencies in Liverpool that voted 73 per cent and 75 per cent Remain, a greater percentage than some constituencies in the capital. And this despite the fact that the social demographics of those Liverpool constituencies have a heavier weighting of poorer social classes than London constituencies.
X Brooke

The announcement by the President of the European Commission, Jean Claude Juncker, and the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, that they want the European Court of Justice to retain its precedence over our Supreme Court, even after Brexit, only proves there can be no such thing as a “soft Brexit”.

The eurocrats are becoming desperate as they realise that the UK’s departure from the EU will leave Brussels with a £10 billion black hole in its annual spendthrift budget and they are determined to scupper talks at all costs.

Our negotiators need to make it crystal clear that we will not be bullied.
Robert Readman


Hike council tax to secure fairer pay

With the debate continuing over lifting the one per cent pay cap for public-sector workers, surely the fairest way to fund this would be to raise more money from council tax?

It would be better if there was a new council tax band for properties from £320,000 upwards which paid an additional 0.1 per cent — a property valued at £2.32 million, for example, would pay an extra £2,000 a year. This would give councils the income to fund pay increases and services.
Paul Langtry


Your article quoted Maria Caulfield, the Tory MP for Lewes, regarding nurses’ salaries [“Tory revolt on pay rocks May”, June 29].

Perhaps Ms Caulfield would like to explain why she then voted to retain the one per cent cap on public-sector pay? It is this disingenuous approach to politics that puts people off those in the political field.
Kelly-Marie Blundell


The public's help is much appreciated

I would like to thank the kind people of Tooting who helped me when my son had an operation at St George’s Hospital.

I discovered my son’s music had disappeared from his iPad — he has Aspergers and music would play a large part in his recovery — so I needed a replacement. First, a girl in Lidl tried to help me find one and then, after having no luck, a young man showed me other shops to visit nearby. When we went on the Tube, a lady made sure my son was seated close to me.

These acts of kindness meant so much at a difficult time.
Sharon Walker

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Cleaner E10 petrol must be a priority

Claims that electric vehicles will represent the majority of vehicles in the next 10 years is overly optimistic. Recent figures show that just 3,000 electric vehicles were registered in May, against 98,518 petrol vehicles. Furthermore, the infrastructure to support the widespread use of electric vehicles doesn’t yet exist, with a limited number of charge points across the country.

With air quality worsening, however, the Government needs to focus more on cleaning up petrol. It is disappointing that it is hesitating over introducing a new greener fuel called E10, which contains five per cent less fossil fuel than current petrol. Using E10 would be the emissions equivalent of removing 700,000 vehicles from UK roads.

The Government has failed to act for years and our worsening air quality requires action now, starting with a greater focus on cleaning petrol through introducing E10.
Clare Wenner, Renewable Energy Association

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Sonny Bill has got off so lightly

Having watched the British and Irish Lions’ second Test against the All Blacks, I was horrified to witness Sonny Bill Williams’s tackle on Anthony Watson. Williams was rightly given a red card for inflicting what could have been a life-changing injury but was only given a four-week ban.

It should have been much longer, so that Williams appreciates the severity of the offence.
G Walker

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