Jeremy Corbyn could convince me to vote for him by staying in the single market

Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

Staying in the single market and customs union is the most important issue Corbyn needs to address (Reuters)

I have voted Labour all my life (I am 68) with two exceptions, 1982 and 2017. I am an unashamed Blairite and make no apology for it. Right now I cannot bring myself to vote for a Corbyn-led Labour government. Only one thing could make me change my mind and that is if Labour were to commit unequivocally to staying long-term in the single market and customs union.

I feel this issue transcends all others. It is about the long long term futures of my children and grandchildren.

I felt betrayed by Corbyn's equivocation during the referendum and vowed never to vote Labour while he was leader. I now ask him to help me change my mind.

Jack Liebeskind
Cheltenham

I suspect that the clue to whether or not Corbyn will be successful in the longer term is what exactly he means by the "ordinary people" whose voices will be heard.

If he means only the party membership and all the young supporters who see him, with justification, as a sort of saviour, then it would be worth considering that there might be quite a lot of ordinary people whose aspirations are equally important but not exactly aligned with those of his closest supporters.

David Buckton
Cambridge

The potentially positive side to Brexit

We live in a world riven by global anxieties, rising insecurity and far-right sentiments, widening inequality, entrenching climate calamities and splintering communities, all requiring prudence and statesmanship to carry us upon the tides towards safer shores.

It is unwise to ever think that Brexit will save us from mega hurricanes, cut NHS waiting times, and help us pour more money towards vital medicines and public services. It also remains too early to predict whether Brexit is the most disastrous national self-immolation in modern times as pessimists want us to believe.

But Brexit could herald a new dawn of transformative politics where affordable and scalable solutions could be found to enable us to leapfrog to a cleaner climate, more resilient economies more efficient renewable energy and healthier lives.

Dr Munjed Farid al Qutob
London NW2

Theresa May’s Brexit speech was completely underwhelming

As I listened to Theresa May in Florence, I waited in vain for her “tablets of stone” that would give us hope. Alas, there was an inevitable disappointment with the realisation that the one thing missing from the speech was the detail.

The only real item of note from the speech was the acceptance of a two year transition period that most of us had already come to the conclusion was inevitable. Hardly a seismic shift.

Vague comments about Britain paying what is due without any shift towards agreeing what is due did little to cause or confirm any shift in position.

What appeared to be the main thrust of this speech was a plea direct to the individual nations to be imaginative and let the UK have an unprecedented deal. The Tories attempting to pass the EU and speak to each individual nation. Can the Conservatives only work on a divide and rule basis? If they think it will work in this situation I think the speech can only be considered one of fantasy.

Whilst we have seen diplomatic responses from the EU, we have seen nothing to suggest it is going to be the groundbreaking speech it was billed to be.

The only significance appears to be the response of Cabinet Members to the bill. They now show themselves to be fully behind what Theresa said. I get the feeling that the purpose of the speech was more to find a way to show the Tories as united under one position than making any progress in negotiations.

Sean Willis
Grimsby

PM May's "transition period" has effectively delayed the Brexit finale for up to four more years. This sounds like a soap opera where two ill-matched people still can't break up completely and haven't really started working what do do with their shared assets. It's over, let's just get out of here.

It won't be a matter of "we'll still have Paris" as the EU passports won't work anymore.

Dennis Fitzgerald
Melbourne, Australia

Children should not be allowed to cycle on pavements

Janet Street Porter is right that the pavement is becoming as dangerous as the road, and that a growing menace is self-righteous parents who accompany, but do not control, their children.

They apparently justify such action as “teaching and protecting their child”, whom they permit to charge ahead into shoppers carrying heavy loads. I have often seen people just missed and upset by what is a form of bullying. It is indeed time that dangerous driving offences were extended to cyclists.

Vanessa Martin
London