Britain must accept that its place in the world has changed

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Your report on the possible problems associated with trade agreements shows the limitations imposed on the concept of national sovereignty (“Britain’s post-Brexit trading status”).

In this global, interconnected world, the battle cry “I want my country back” sounds a bit hollow. People need to get used to the idea that Britain has not been top nation for a long while. In any negotiations, we are in no position to dictate terms. The clue is in the title: negotiation.

So Argentina and Spain might demand some territorial concessions before voting for us to join the WTO and Theresa May’s much-vaunted trade talks with India resulted in no deal unless the UK accepted more Indian students. In today’s world people will find that sovereignty for nations is limited to deciding what colour the buses are!

Chris Elshaw

Headley Down, Hants

A plea for compassion

Having read James Moore’s article (“M&S boss Steve Rowe’s monstrous pay package should surprise no one given the backgrounds of the people that set it”) in Friday's Independent after a discussion on the subject of charity, our conclusions are that it seems that charity often happens most easily and regularly on a local and personal basis. Some examples from our own experience bear this out, from helping out a group of hot and tired soldiers stranded in Brazil in the Sixties to giving a lift to our neighbour whose car had broken down.

There are many examples today of communities helping each other, and often less fortunate outsiders – like the people in Devon helping a group of Syrian immigrants – but, on another level, in national governments, large organisations, or party-led groups, the emphasis seems to be on adversarial attitudes, division and difference.

The behaviour of these so-called “fat cats” described by James Moore is due to denying or ignoring a connection with others less influential or fortunate in their environment – their fellow workers and contributors to their enterprise.

It is a very small and fragile place we inhabit and we need to look after each other in more considerate ways. We are all capable of doing this if we do not allow our class, party affiliations and so on to cloud our natural compassion.

Joy and Peter Cole

Northumberland

The leather trousers aren’t the issue

I fail to see Elizabeth Morley’s indignation about Theresa May’s leather trousers (“Letters”) and its connection with JAMs. One could argue over the PM’s salary but not what she does with it. If I wish to spend £300 on a bottle of wine and if necessary starve for the rest of the month, it is my business and nothing to do with my sympathy or lack of sympathy for others.

Rosa Wei-Ling Chang

Sheffield

Which is stronger: conscience or convenience?

Re: Hard-pressed Amazon workers – sadly the only way to change Amazon’s employment procedures is for consumers to stop purchasing through them.

I say sadly because most of us (myself included) find the service extremely convenient and would be reluctant to sacrifice our own comfort.

Another uncomfortable truth?

Lynda Newbery

Bristol

Protecting EU nationals within the UK after Brexit isn’t just humane – it’s economically sensible

We support the actions of The Three Million Group, which is demanding assurances that EU nationals living in the UK will not be used as “bargaining chips” in the Brexit negotiations and their right to live here will be preserved.

Like ourselves, it wants EU citizens living in the UK to be given permanent residence before Article 50 is triggered, which the Government says will happen by the end of March.

There are an estimated 181,000 EU nationals living in Scotland. These are our neighbours and work colleagues, they work in our health service, local authorities and hotels and restaurants. They are not bargaining chips, but human beings.

Not only this, but they make a substantial impact on our economy. Of those from the rest of the EU living here, a mere 1.2 per cent are not economically active, a miniscule number. In addition, according to University College London, between 2001 and 2011, EU migrants made an estimated positive net contribution of £20bn to the UK economy as they tend to be younger and more economically active than our own workforce, paying more in taxes and receiving less in benefits.

Those coming to our shores from the EU therefore make an overwhelmingly positive contribution economically, socially and culturally. This is especially relevant in Scotland where we face the profound impact of an ageing population.

It will clearly send a positive signal in the Brexit negotiations for the UK Government to provide assurances that EU nationals will be allowed to stay here, and is an approach we wholeheartedly support.

Vanessa Glynn

Chair, The European Movement in Scotland

Edinburgh

We started seeing the profound personal impact that the uncertainty surrounding Brexit is having on members of our profession who are EU citizens, or have family members who are, almost as soon as the outcome of the 23 June Referendum was announced (“Brexit: Theresa May attacked over ‘morally wrong’ decision to delay EU citizens’ rights”) which is why the British Future report’s call for a commitment that existing EU citizens can stay and the supporting letter from The Three Million group receive the full backing of the UK veterinary profession.

Vets not only treat livestock and pets in practices across the UK, they play vital roles in our meat hygiene and food safety services, in UK trade, in research and development, in wider safeguarding of animal health and protecting animal welfare. Each year around 50 per cent of vets registering to practise in the UK are from overseas, with the vast majority coming from the EU, and in the meat hygiene sector some estimates suggest 95 per cent of the veterinary workforce graduated overseas. There is a danger that the ongoing rhetoric around Brexit, alongside the uncertainty for EU citizens, could seriously impact the veterinary profession’s ability to fulfil its essential roles.

What we need is the UK Government to send a clear signal about the kind of country we will be after Brexit and the relationship we want with Europe, which includes valuing those who already live and work here.

Gudrun Ravetz, President, British Veterinary Association

Chris Tufnell, President, Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons

London W1G