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Mark Carney’s resignation would mean the end of Theresa May’s honeymoon period

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

Sunday 30 October 2016 17:55 GMT
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Bank of England governor Mark Carney speaks during a news conference at the Bank of England in London
Bank of England governor Mark Carney speaks during a news conference at the Bank of England in London (Reuters)

Should Bank of England Governor Mark Carney by forced out, and speculation about this is rising, this would surely mark the end of Theresa May's extended honeymoon period. It would suggest that, despite widespread hopes when Andrea Leadsom's bid for power was thwarted, we are indeed heading to the dismal and doctrinaire right.

From possible hard Brexit to grammar school policy, from relationships with the devolved administrations to uninspiring decisions about airports, fine words are not matching deeds.

Little England appears on the distant horizon once again, a peevish Conservative state shorn of Scotland, largely ignoring Northern interests, and keeping an uneasy Wales and Northern Ireland in unhappy limbo until they too break free of it all.

The Prime Minister cannot be blamed for the Brexit decision, but she would be blamed for the far greater disaster of the break-up of the UK, which may well follow a comprehensive and seemingly irreversible swing to the hard right at Westminster.

Perhaps Mark Carney's position is simply being made uncomfortable to pacify those extremes, although one would have thought that the head of George Osborne was sufficient. Maybe Theresa May still harbours truly moderate plans for Britain. But if she is tempted to surrender to the bizarre politics of Jacob Rees-Mogg and friends, she should take herself to Chequers for the weekend, walk around the gardens and consider the judgement of history that is probably already set to damn her predecessor.

John Gemmell

Birmingham

Brexit

At the end of your editorial (Democratic oversight of Brexit is not an attempt to frustrate the will of the British people, Theresa May, 29 October) you refer to accepting “the result of the referendum”. But what result exactly are you accepting?

Firstly, on the numbers, 48:52 was hardly sufficiently conclusive or clear as a result to warrent such a seismic change in national governance. Secondly, the lack of clarity around what leaving the EU means renders the result inconclusive and incomplete. Now that the Pandora's box has been opened, the process needs to be completed. To do so will require at least one, probably two further referendums in order to get a better idea of what this result meant and further to get a better idea of what we all want to do about it.

Mark Langdon

London

Regarding the “assurances” recently given to Nissan: please will the Government now give me a commitment that the rate at which I next buy my holiday euros will be subject to the same “assurances”, and I will get the pre-Brexit exchange rate?

Nick Haward

Havant

Raising children vegetarian

I noticed the way your article on vegetarianism (Are there any health implications for raising your child as a vegetarian, vegan or pescatarian? 29 October) started off by discussing the fact that these diets – vegetarian, vegan or pescatarian – were being imposed on children. Being a vegetarian myself, it seems astonishing to me that people who eat meat never seem to realise that they also impose their diets on their children as well. We all make choices and decisions for our children, which most of us do in their best interests. Vegetarians are no different to meat-eaters in this respect.

Nicki Bartlett

Cardiff

More praise for Ken Loach

I'd recommend Ken Loach's new film I Daniel Blake to everyone. The film is based on extensive research and it lifts the lid on the absolute horror and utter degradation that poor people in this country who have to live on benefits face.

The master filmmaker explores the humiliation of the Government’s Work Capability Assessments which are carried out by unsympathetic private companies and how the benefits systems rules are deliberately set in opposition to each other creating a minefield for claimants.

Mark Holt

Liverpool

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