Britain needs diplomacy to undo the mess caused by Brexit - Yorkshire Post letters

LAST Thursday’s elections were about sending the best of British to represent us in the European Parliament. Whatever length of time we remain in the EU, our selected Euro MPs now have the opportunity to regain universal respect by pursuing a policy of polite, constructive co-operation until referendum negotiations are concluded.

A vote for the Brexit Party will achieve exactly the opposite. Whilst accepting the lucrative pay, perks and prestige which accompany the job, its cohort of MEPs will happily take their place in the EU with the intention of causing as much disruption as possible. And the EU deserves a lot more respect than that.

With all their differences (and ours), the EU countries have formed a brilliant alliance after hundreds of years of war and strife. And if my limited knowledge of history is correct, out of 28 member states Britain is the only country lucky enough not to have been occupied by a foreign power since the year 1066.

Most of us enjoy holidays on the Continent. My daughter works in Paris. Until recently, I travelled Northern England representing fashion companies from Germany, Netherlands, Italy and Portugal. All my suppliers were a pleasure to work with and I experienced the utmost help and courtesy whenever I visited their countries.

Whatever your views on remaining or leaving the EU, the countries of Europe are our neighbours, their interests are closely allied to our own and they will remain good neighbours – whatever the future. It is time for real British diplomats to undo this undiplomatic mess and show the world that we are still the world’s greatest democracy.

From: M P Laycock, Harrogate.

JOHN Turley (The Yorkshire Post, May 27) complains that no leading Brexiteer politician was promoting no-deal Brexit before or during the referendum campaign. Of course they were not! Neither did they say they would only leave with a deal.

Michel Barnier is on record as having said: “If I can be so hard on the British that they wish they had not voted to leave, I shall have done my job.” Ruling out ‘no deal’ certainly made that job easier.

From: John Douglas, Spey Terrace, Edinburgh.

WITHOUT a published manifesto, how can voters tell if Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party is willing to get rid of unwanted metrication and return to inches, pounds and Fahrenheit degrees?