ES Views: Our children will be left to pay the price of Brexit

Your picture accompanying Matthew d’Ancona’s article on the Brexit farrago says it all [Comment, August 16]. The EU officials are pictured with reams of technical paperwork in front of them while Brexit Secretary David Davis has the square root of nothing in front of him. That accurately summarises Britain’s position.

D’Ancona suggests that contemporary politics is cursed by an inability to deal with complexity. Generally I would agree with him but in this instance it can be summarised very pithily: Brexit is hard because never, in the whole of human history, has a country tried to negotiate a worse deal than we already have.

It is the pursuit of folly on a grandiose scale and we, and our children, will suffer greatly for it.
Simon Diggins

Am I alone in being startled by Admiral Sir Philip Jones’s highly politicised comments about Brexit and the role of the Queen in promoting the country “as we prepare to leave the European Union”?

I am close to retirement age but I feel repelled and profoundly ashamed of the disgrace we are heaping on ourselves by allowing Brexit to destabilise and impoverish this country.

If we are to have enormous warships cruising the world in an attempt to make ourselves seem less pathetic than our actions suggest, may I insist that it is “not in my name”.
Elizabeth Cooper

Tom Brake MP appears to be confused about the expectation of many Brexiteers [“Brexit squeeze to last all year”, August 16]. They were not persuaded by the statement of expert economists that the early effect of a vote for Brexit would be very bad for the UK. And events have proved them right.

But in voting for Brexit, I never understood them to have promised early “milk and honey”. They certainly saw that an opportunity would be opened up by Brexit for increased trade with Commonwealth and other non-EU countries and so, therefore, for longer-term prosperity.

But they agreed that in the shorter term there could be a cost, which depends very much on how sensible the EU is.
David Pitts

The fundamental flaw of the EU is its belief that politics trumps economic reality, a belief which led to the creation of the euro — which lies at the heart of its malaise. In seeking to punish the UK for choosing to leave the EU is placing its own political agenda ahead of the economic wellbeing of its member states.

Far from regretting Brexit, the EU’s negotiation tactics merely underline how right we were to vote Leave.
Christopher Knott

Las Ramblas was a plausible target

I visited Barcelona in May, and the thing that struck me most was that despite both Las Ramblas and Placa de Catalunya being extremely busy, everything ran smoothly — be it cars, the flow of people or the Metro.

Sadly, this appears to have been its downfall. Had there been more traffic, the van might not have been able to cause such devastation in a matter of moments.

Unfortunately, I fear the planning that went into the series of attacks in Spain shows they knew this was the case and would simply use another means of attack.

These terrorist attacks are a direct assault on our peaceful way of living. These acts are despicable but at the same time show just how cowardly these evil terrorists are.

Just like with London, Stockholm, Paris and Brussels, they won’t beat us because they are not stronger than us.
Richard Darby

Students expect better housing

Much is made of luxury student accommodation and the fact that demand for it is fuelled by wealthy overseas students coming to study in the capital [“Can the clamour for luxury London student housing survive Brexit fallout?”, August 16].

However, the reality is that all newly-built student blocks need to be offering decent living at affordable rates, and international students’ needs aren’t that different from those of UK students.

Students of all backgrounds throughout London expect more from their accommodation now, and what five years ago would have been considered expensive now needs to be built in as standard.

This means super-fast broadband and wi-fi throughout the building, high-tech break-out and social spaces and creative co-working areas, as well as purpose-built parcel collection and delivery points.

It is the creation of high-quality, affordable accommodation that caters to the needs of regular students that is going to keep investors’ strong appetite for the sector. This is what will make the development of new student accommodation sustainable.
Ami Kotecha, development director, Amro Real Estate Partners

Silence of Big Ben is surely not golden

Surely, in the technological wonderland that modern Britain has become, Big Ben could continue to be heard quite easily without imperilling the ears of workmen in or on the Elizabeth Tower?

The chimes could be recorded and broadcast daily, via an amplifier erected in New Palace Yard or even from the middle of Parliament Square. Should there be complaints from neighbours, the volume could be reduced to an acceptable level.

Even if the chimes were only rung out on the hour for 18 hours a day it would be preferable to silence. This much loved tourist attraction, and symbol of Britain’s bravery during the Second World War, must be retained. At least the four-year ban is now being reviewed after criticism from the Prime Minister.
Anthony Looch

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