Letters: Should Obama mind his own business when it comes to Brexit?

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President Barack Obama arrives at Downing Street to meet with Prime Minister David Cameron

So it's OK for Barack Obama (Barack Obama says 'world needs Britain's influence in Europe to continue' as UK visit starts, 21 April) to urge Britain to remain in the EU. Imagine, though, the outcry from Washington were David Cameron to press Mexico's case for unimpeded entry of its nationals into the US. The North American Free Trade Area neither makes provision for the free movement of labour, nor would any American or Canadian politician dare advocate such a provision. In contrast, the free movement of labour is a bedrock principle of the EU.

Washington has also consistently pressed the EU to admit Turkey. The mind boggles that such a Greater EU would border Syria, Iraq and Iran.

America's national interests do not necessarily coincide with those of Britain.

Yugo Kovach

Dorset

If the US President thinks it’s such a good idea for us to stay in the European Union, why hasn’t he taken his country into the EU? The answer, of course, is that he doesn’t want laws made by outside countries that put their own interests first, or for his main export area to be a region that is stagnating economically. The US President should spend more of his time tackling issues faced by his own country.

David Kilpatrick

St Albans

Why is Obama coming here to tell us we are better off within the EU?

Would America give up their sovereignty and allow other countries to tell them what to do? Would America let Mexico, Chilli, Argentina, and Canada make the laws that the USA would have to live by?

J H Moffatt

Bredbury

Scottish referendum

It is clear from Nicola Sturgeon’s manifesto launch, that if as expected the SNP win in May, they will put Scottish nationalism first, not Scotland.

With insufficient popular appetite just now for a second independence referendum, there was an opportunity to focus all the energies of the next Scottish government on the many pressing needs of Scotland across education, health, social justice and economic rejuvenation.

Instead Nicola Sturgeon promises an independence propaganda campaign starting in the summer, no matter what it means for Scotland in terms of diverted resources and social discord.

Keith Howell

West Linton, Scottish Borders

Pharmacies to take greater role in GP surgeries

Your editorial calling for the greater involvement of pharmacists in general practice is 21 years late – at least.

In a British Medical Journal editorial (24th June 1995, Vol.310, pages 1620 – 1) a colleague and I proposed the full integration of pharmacy into general practices everywhere. The benefits to patients, exchequer and professions are overwhelming. The separation of prescribing and dispensing in the current manner is complete madness, creating only shocking wastes of money, time and skills and real therapeutic disadvantage.

Retail pharmacy should have its own therapeutic armamentarium and pursue the role you mention – assuming full responsibility for all minor illness. Primary care pharmacy would become a cutting edge, highly technical branch of the profession, in direct contact with the patient and the entire primary health care team at all times. Practice based NHS dispensing would become limited to ‘prescription only medicines’.

In 1995 we estimated that the annual savings would be more than £1billion.

Steve Ford

Haydon Bridge

Official Monster Raving Loony Party and Brexit

I have been making a mental list of the individuals and organisations who have declared for the exit camp or the remain camp. So far obviously we have MP’s, we also have unions, big business, small business, celebrities and even interested overseas entrepreneurs and politicians. However I cannot for the life of me find out which camp the “ The Monster Raving Loony Party?” is backing? I look forward to an official announcement.

Robert Boston

Kent

London marathon

I may be a cynical spoilsport but I suspect that most people who run marathons do so because they want to do it; either as some way of 'challenging themselves' - a concept I have never fully understood - or as some kind of self-aggrandizement if wearing outlandish clothes at the same time. Is it not, however, rather disingenuous to ask to be sponsored for doing something you want to do anyway? Would it not be much more laudable to be sponsored for doing something you really do not want to do? And I have exactly the right plan. All along the side of the A34 south of Oxford rubbish is a terrible eyesore and an embarrassment to the country. Let us have a sponsored litter-picking day and I would be happy to contribute most generously. The energy expended during the marathon would thereby be put to good use, the country would benefit enormously and it could become an annual event, thus restoring this country to its former beauty.

Nick Pritchard

Southampton