Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn, it’s time to wake up. The only Brexit solution is a second referendum

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Monday 06 May 2019 18:01 BST
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The pair will go down in history as synonymous with fumbling disasters
The pair will go down in history as synonymous with fumbling disasters

The main party leaders are the only two people left on the face of the earth who cannot see there is now only one path to stability and one way to save Britain from social, economic, political and international-credibility annihilation.

Even other members of their own parties suddenly get it. I wonder if the local election results helped? Certainly, sentient beings on both sides of the Brexit divide but outside of the Westminster alternative universe got it ages ago.

There has to be a second and/or confirmatory referendum and upon that ballot paper three things must appear:

  1. The deal the EU say they would accept.
  2. Whatever other Brexit car crash compromise parliament can cobble together.
  3. Cancelling Brexit.

One can only hope that “Maybyn” – whose joint names will go down in history as synonymous with fumbling disasters – will wake up and smell the common sense before the rest of us are suffocated by the gas of rotten politics.

There is only one Brexit solution. There are only two people who don’t get it. Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn.

Amanda Baker
Edinburgh

What next after Brexit?

Both Conservative and Labour spokespeople claim that the country wants to “achieve Brexit and move on”. But move on to what? The answer can only be more years of Tory government under a new leader, since a cross-party deal with Labour might bring Brexit but will not bring a general election. If Jeremy Corbyn thinks otherwise he must explain why.

John Hambley
Suffolk

Bank holidays aren’t an excuse

Conservative and Labour talks are to resume after the bank holiday. Before I retired 10 years ago, if I had an important contract to secure I would work through all holidays, and so would others I knew.

Either the UK has gone soft or the politicians don’t think the talks are that important.

John Simpson
Ross on Wye

A solution to the third runway problem?

Last week’s High Court judgement ruling against the plaintiffs’ case that construction of a third runway at Heathrow would be unlawful, seriously dents the hopes of those who would like to see the project annulled.

However, even if environmental concerns are discounted, the scheme still demonstrates an inefficient use of existing infrastructure, and, beyond that, would put an unsustainable demand on roads, railways, and public transport in the already congested west London conurbation.

London is already served by 10 runways. That is more than any other city in Europe, and probably more than any other city worldwide. Readers will be doubtful about that, but here is the list:

London Heathrow (2 runways) and all of the following have one each: London Gatwick, London Stansted, London Luton, London City, London Southend, London Northolt, London Biggin Hill, and London Farnborough.

The latter three airports are used exclusively for VIP, business, and private flights, plus a small number of military flights at Northolt. This exclusive use of three runways for non-public aviation deprives London of additional runways for commercial use.

A possible answer would be to consolidate private aviation at either London Northolt, London Biggin Hill or London Farnborough, thus releasing, at relatively low cost, two additional runways for public commercial use.

Such a compromise would keep both sides happy. The huge upheaval at Heathrow would no longer be needed, and supporters of an additional runway would get two at minimal cost.

Lyn Atterbury
Pila

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Thunberg’s wishful thinking

For a few weeks now, I have been trying to figure out, where I’ve seen this “Greta Thunberg” before. The teenage Swedish ecological saviour has been making the rounds around Europe and, as luck would have it, invariably in the presence of the mainstream media.

It came to me after seeing a Halifax advert which incorporates scenes from The Wizard of Oz – she looks just like Dorothy, played by Judy Garland, who was about 19 (a “grown-up” in those days) made to look like a 14-year-old.

Just like Dorothy, Greta seems to think that she can change things simply by talking about them. When that doesn’t work, presumably, she’ll just click the heels of her shiny red shoes.

Well, it worked in the film (sort of), but that wasn’t real. I suspect, neither is Thunberg.

Ps. While on the subject of wicked witches, the recent security “leaks” have the paw prints of the wicked witch of May all over them. When will she finally melt and disappear?

Fred Nicholson
Essex

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