Remainer politicians should quit their parties to stop Brexit

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I applaud Chuka Umunna’s articles in The Independent, but I have been puzzling for many months why he and other committed Labour and Tory Remainers don’t resign from parties whose bone-headed leaders are between them edging us towards a Brexit abyss.

Yes, they might lose their seats standing as independents (or even as Lib Dems) at the next general election, but don’t party politics and individual political careers pale into insignificance beside the momentousness of leaving the EU on any of the terms currently under discussion? Apart from anything else, even a handful of significant resignations might shake up the parliamentary arithmetic and bring the Tory and Labour parties to their senses. Time is now getting very short.

Gavin Turner
Norfolk

We need to start all over again

Theresa May deserves our respect for standing up to an EU that doesn’t know the meaning of the word “negotiate”.

Like others, I support free movement, the single market, and the pan-European cooperation that the EU facilitates. However, what is odious is that the EU appears to wilfully ignore the mandates under which its member states govern themselves. Nigel Farage use the apt epithet “bullies”, and Janis Varoufakis documents in his book Adults in the Room the deceit, manipulation, and dishonesty which is the hallmark of its politburo negotiating stance when it is under threat.

We do need an EU, but one which is open, flexible, directly accountable, and widely diverse. What is not wanted is an EU that mocks those who challenge its authority with national mandates by consigning them “to a special place in hell”.

Lyn Atterbury
Pila, Poland

Lack of Labour leadership

As a Labour voter I have believed that the last two years of negotiations and parliamentary proceedings have been blighted by the arrogance of the inept in the Tory party, those whose egos are inversely proportionate to their knowledge of business, economics and daily life, a band of non-achieving and low-achieving office holders and foghorn ideologues, unable to build relationships and get things done pragmatically, by compromise.

Jeremy’s latest ploy shows that I was wrong. His soft-spoken sincerity and integrity have descended into meaningless soundbites and broken promises. Looking back, no one has fought the cause of the 47 per cent, the millions of young people, or understood that Brexit was initiated by a narrow majority. Corbyn and May have connived in a win-lose, zero-sum game unrestrained by the pragmatists in their parties. Labour will be the midwife of Brexit.

Should I go on voting Labour after decades of doggedly doing so in Tory strongholds?

It will be much, much harder to do as long as Corbyn, McCluskey, etc, hold sway. Where is leadership? Like it or not, Attlee, Wilson, Blair, Brown “got things done” and had around them ministers of quality who knew, from real life experience how to get things done, pragmatically, by compromise. Corbyn has capitulated and shown utter disrespect for those around him in his parliamentary party, in his shadow cabinet and all those who genuinely believed in his principled stand.

Name and address supplied

Goodbye Humphrys

John Humphrys can retire from the Today programme content in the knowledge that his legacy will live on.

In the supposed interest of “balance”, he has successfully tutored all his fellow Today presenters in the questionable art of hectoring, and repeatedly interrupting, the people they interview.

D Maughan Brown
York

Cough ’em up

Obama released his birth certificate. Warren released her DNA results. Where’s Trump’s tax returns?

Mahmoud El-Yousseph
Westerville, Ohio

The system is stacked against state school students

The unacknowledged problem facing state school students is that, unlike those in the better funded private sector, they themselves have to access and obtain the special interview knowledge, techniques and coaching required to gain entry to the top universities.

State schools will generally enable students to attain the required academic entry standards but, when it comes to top university entrance, another level of highly specialised and costly “education” needs to be accessed. It therefore seems that any real improvement in this situation is not likely to come about.

Michael du Pré
Marlow