Readers' letters - February 17

The extent to which carefully-chosen language is employed to suit political expediency is well recognised. It is interesting to note how quickly such language becomes embedded and overtakes reality.

Since the referendum, we are inundated with “the people have spoken”; “it is the will of the people”; “the people of this country made it clear on June 23”.

Lest we forget – the rationale for calling a referendum is now mentioned little but it is important to recall it.

The PM of the day used the notion of referenda in an attempt to control a section of his own party and counter the effects of UKIP’s promise of a return to an English paradise.

The people were to be used to validate his position and that of the party’s pro-EU members. But it backfired and the people turned on him.

It was an act of recklessness and egotism to devolve an issue as complex and crucial to the future security and economic wellbeing of this country to the blunt instrument of referenda. All of the political parties are now living with the consequences of this, as they appear locked into the current chaos.

The party that so favoured the referendum might at least have had the foresight to stipulate a 10 per cent difference in the result. As it stands, the decision to commit economic suicide stands on a meagre 3.8 per cent. The debate regarding the triggering of Article 50 was shambolic.

Ken Clarke captured the absurdity of the current situation very well. Some people may wish to live in a topsy turvy world along with the current Government. If they do, then they and the Government deserve each other. However, this country does not deserve this. It deserves better.

B Kelly

Address supplied

Nasty party rules supreme

We are the fifth biggest economy in the world.

We cannot afford to look after our sick or our disabled or our elderly because of lack of social care.

We cannot afford to accept any unaccompanied child refugees from Europe.

We cannot afford to fund our schools, our prisons, our courts, our local government or our environment.

We can afford to cut corporation tax, capital

gains tax and inheritance tax.

Meanwhile we are hurtling away from our 500 million free trade neighbours into the arms of the protectionist and delusional Trump.

We are in danger that, after 10 years of negotiations, “Great Britain” will have become “Little England”.

We have no effective opposition to challenge these priorities because Labour is in crisis.

So the nasty party, as Theresa May once called it, rules supreme.

Mike Turner

via email

‘Former Labour voters insulted’

Paul Mason, the Corbyn-supporting former BBC reporter, told an audience in Hackney, east London (where else?) :“Most of the UKIP people are either people who haven’t voted or have flipped in a radical way from Labour.

“They are toerags, basically.

“They are the bloke who nicks your bike.

“No, seriously, that’s

who it is, it’s the bloke who does all the anti-social things.”

So if you are working class or a disillusioned Labour voter or a first-time voter and are considering voting for a different party then you are a thieving, anti-social “toerag”.

We now know how the trendy left Labour Corbynisters considers

their traditional and new voters.

Bernard Darbyshire

via email

No broccoli?

No problem!

People complaining about the lack of certain vegetables obviously never lived through the war. I could happily live without all the items, particularly broccoli, which is my least favourite vegetable.

Mrs June Wolfe

Address supplied