Letters - June 28, 2016

Well, it is all over and I, as a democrat, do, of course, accept the result. I do, however, worry about what we have let ourselves in for. In three months we will have a new PM, and unless you are a member of the Conservative Party you will have no say on who that will be. I would if I were a gambler, I would put money on it being Boris Johnson, which is all we need.

Within hours of the result being announced, the Bank of England had to put up £250billion of our taxpayers’ money to help stabilise our financial sector. Moody’s have downgraded the UK’s credit rating from stable to negative and the pound fell in value. I regard the above as just a blip and things will settle down.

My main concern is that in around two years’ time, when we actually leave the EU, any deal offered for us to maintain full access to the single market will not be acceptable to our Brexiteers, as it will almost certainly include the UK contributing to the EU budget, accepting EU regulations and free movement of people. I can hear Boris blustering that because of the size of our economy we will get the best deal ever. I have to say I hope you’re right Boris. If not, then inward investment and jobs with international companies here in the UK will be at risk like never before.

When I say UK, I should say what is left of it, as Scotland and perhaps Northern Ireland may leave the UK as they wish to remain part of the EU.

I really hope I’m proved to be wrong, but fear I’m right.

Kevan Benfold

Blackpool Liberal Democrats

We want the best for our children

Some young people seem to think that all “old people” voted OUT and hence have set back the youth of this country by decades.

This generalisation is not true. Thousands of people of my age (67) and my husband’s age (77) took the trouble to read all information available, and obviously then voted IN.

We have spent our lives nurturing our children and grandchildren so to provide the best. We want the best and look forward for them.

Every country is stronger together with other countries.

What a shocking waste of futures we’ve given our younger citizens.

Josephine Taylor

address supplied

Brexit result makes UKIP redundant

With one exception, the consequences of the result of the referendum are unknown. The exception concerns UKIP.

Farage was blatantly used by the Leave campaign leaders to win their case. However, neither Gove or Johnson have any liking for Farage. As UKIP have always been a one policy party, namely anti-EU, it is now clearly redundant.

UKIP have no credible defence, foreign, fiscal, employment or transport policies. It is now time to shut up shop.

Dr Barry Clayton

Cleveleys

The PM steered us into troubled water

To all those who voted, thank you for beginning the process of putting the great back into Great Britain. To those who voted remain, this is a democracy and you should accept the democratic decision.

Now is the time to for us all get behind all our elected members of Parliament, let them know what they need to do, to get this country back to what it was and regain the respect in which it was held throughout the free world in the late forties and early fifties.

Since the result was announced I have been saddened about the fact that a proportion of younger voters have felt and expressed the feeling that we the older members of the electorate have thought only about ourselves, not giving a thought about future of their children and grandchildren, as we had lived our lives.

I hope in time to come that, with hindsight, they realise we voted in a way we thought was best for everyone who lives in this country. A decision that was reached after a lifetime of experience and doing what we thought was best for our families and this country.

Finally, what a legacy our Prime Minister would have had, if he had pulled all the principles and ideas together that are going to be needed to successfully go forward, What did he do? To use his analogy about being “the captain of a ship”, he has guided us into a storm, sailing into troubled waters.

Had he within the remaining term of this Parliament, after which he said he would retire, set his ship (our country) on a course for a safe haven, then handed over the captaincy he might have been regarded as a great Prime Minister, but no, like Captain Schettino of the Costa Concordia, he is about to jump ship. Leaving his crew to sort out his mess.

To be a great Prime Minister, you have to look at Winston Churchill. He didn’t throw his toys out of the pram after leading a wartime coalition government then losing the 1945 Election. He lead his party to return to power and he regained his position and the respect of the whole nation when it really was Great Britain.

Harold Fowler

Rossall Road

Ansdell

The PM’s pledge has been broken

Remember back to 2010, when a newly elected Tory Prime Minister proclaimed his government would fix what he described as ‘Broken Britain’?

Just six years later he slinks ignominiously from office, leaving a country divided from top to bottom. Cynicism and disbelief is widespread, and there is considerable anger and blame directed wildly and in all directions. Uncertainty casts a dark cloud over investment, employment and public finances.

Cameron’s decision to address the fault lines within his own party and marginalise the growth of UKIP has exploded in his face after a nasty and deceitful referendum campaign in which an MP was murdered on our streets and in which the promises of the Leave campaign are already unravelling.

Whatever happens next, the Tory pledge to fix Broken Britain will be the epitaph on Cameron’s political tombstone.

John Parkinson

via email