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ES Views: Blair is underestimating our judgment on Brexit

Tony Blair has stood fiercely against Brexit. But is he right to do so?: PA
Tony Blair has stood fiercely against Brexit. But is he right to do so?: PA

Tony Blair asks whether voters would still back Brexit if the deal did not deliver substantially the same access to the single market and the customs union [“Don’t just give Theresa May the free hand she is seeking over Brexit”, Comment, April 21]. The answer, of course, is yes.

We want parliamentary sovereignty to be restored to Westminster so that every general election is meaningful. Every constituent should be able to track down their own member in the lobby, unless their MP refuses access. That makes a difference.

Once we have made this statement and action, we can look at the terms of what the EU is willing to agree. If the EU is sensible it will agree open access for the UK to its markets. Of course it will be complicated deciding on standards and regulations but not half as difficult as the current hassle of arguing in byzantine committees in Brussels.

In practice, the EU is like a balloon full of water — a sharp prick and it is going to burst. We do not know whether the prick will be the French election or the German one but we need good leadership to unpick the knitting sensibly. The starting point is that we are moving out of the EU.
Sir James Pickthorn

Not only is Tony Blair’s prediction that Theresa May will increase her majority deeply disloyal to Labour, the party he served for so long, but his plan for forcing the new government into a softer position on Brexit is positively ridiculous.

Blair’s wizard wheeze is for a mass movement of voters to prevent a new Tory government claiming a mandate for “Brexit at any cost” by successfully persuading individual candidates to promise, before the election, that it won’t happen.

Apart from the fact that any such commitment would be worthless, it should be obvious that the only way to get a government that won’t give us “Brexit at any cost” is not to vote for the Conservative Party. That Blair can’t bring himself to recommend this says everything about his desperation to see his own party fail under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.
Kate Francis

I have never understood criticism, like that of Peter Kenwright [Letters, April 21], against people trying to “rerun elections until they get the right answer”.

Ukip and their forebears spent decades trying to rerun the original referendum that took us into Europe, while Theresa May has decided to rerun the 2015 election. Democracy is all about groups of people participating in elections to obtain the result they want. This is not “intimidation by a minority” but the right of every citizen to engage in determining the future of their country.

Should not the young, the pro-Remain and the Liberal Democrats have the same rights?
Jon Burden


Nuttall's integration plan is misguided

Tackling extremism must be a high priority but I was shocked to hear Ukip leader Paul Nuttall’s proposal to launch an “integration agenda” aimed at Muslim women only.

Muslim women have lived in the UK for centuries and have never posed a threat to the values of free speech, liberty or human rights. British Ahmadi Muslim women remain loyal to our nation and we are united against extremism.

Nuttall might be concerned about security but targeting the dress code of Muslim women is not the solution. Working with Muslim community groups is the way forward as they are in the best position to educate their women on issues surrounding veiling and security.

Putting Muslim women at the forefront of a political agenda will only cause division. In order to combat extremism, Britain must remain united.
Navida Sayed


Use every tool to tackle mental health

After the recent candour of Princes William and Harry, we emphasise the need for reliable support and education for those concerned about young people’s mental health.

As doctors we take this very seriously and recommend MindEd resources, which are provided by the NHS and are aimed at any adult working with or supporting children or teens. We urge them to use these resources to provide support for those in need.
Dr Raphael Kelvin and Dr Alistair Thomson, MindEd


The Mayor is right to back our markets

Congratulations to Sadiq Khan for his plan to set up a London Markets Board [April 20]. Street markets are the lifeblood of our nation and those such as Portobello Road sell an outstanding variety of goods, from antiques to fruit and vegetables and bric-a-brac.

Private developers, bad planning laws and mass-produced goods have all threatened the existence of our markets and they must not be allowed to prevail.
Anne and Phil Swift

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Buses are still vital for Oxford Street

So the Mayor and, somewhat bizarrely, Transport for London are seemingly intent on pedestrianising Oxford Street, the most important east-west bus corridor in the capital [“Cyclists ‘could be banned from Oxford Street when it becomes pedestrian-only’,” April 20].

There are some simple measures which could be brought in to make Oxford Street safer and keep buses running on the street. This includes banning private hire vehicles, pedicabs and bicycles, as well as increasing the number of pedestrian crossings to make it safer. We could also explore the impact of introducing 20mph zones, providing clearer and better signage, while TfL should be promoting the use of buses as public transport, not driving people off them. And I do not believe Crossrail is a suitable replacement for bus services.

I wonder who will speak for the workers, shoppers, elderly and disabled people, as well as many other Londoners, who just want to get on the bus for a few stops or further?
L O’Shea

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Resilience was the real FA Cup winner

As an Arsenal fan I could not hide my delight over the weekend. Not only did we progress to the FA Cup final against a quite brilliant Manchester City side but our arch rivals Tottenham were beaten 4-2 by a clinical Chelsea team.

I noted that both the winning performances were of a similar nature: inviting pressure before launching quick counter-attacks. Chelsea have used this tactic superbly this season and I am glad Arsene Wenger recognised its value.

Spurs and Manchester City will feel they deserved to win due to the amount of possession they had but this is modern football. Barcelona too were frustrated against a resilient Juventus defence in their Champions League quarter-final.

Possession no longer represent nine-tenths of the law — but as long as we are treated to thrilling matches, that is fine by me.
Dave Robson

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