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ES Views Letter of the Day: Let’s keep our cool over the Brexit talks

Balance: Philip Hammond addressed Brexit in his speech yesterday at the Mansion House
Balance: Philip Hammond addressed Brexit in his speech yesterday at the Mansion House

How depressing that only 24 hours into the Brexit talks, some politicians and commentators are stupidly talking about “victory” or “defeat”.

The negotiations are fearsomely complex, covering a huge range of essential technical issues of which the public is as yet hardly aware but which will affect the future welfare of all of us. Loose talk about supposed wins or losses on individual points will only create bad blood and make the process far harder.

We are not being thrown out of the European Union; no one else wants us to leave, and the EU-27 could probably do without the distraction of long and potentially ill-tempered negotiations with the UK.

The EU owes us no favours, and at least the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, grasps the idea that in a negotiation both sides have legitimate interests and objectives.

These require reciprocal understanding and good manners if results acceptable to both sides are to be secured.
Michael Johnson

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