ES Views: May’s letter to EU citizens is nowhere near enough

The letter sent by Theresa May about EU citizens is a desperate attempt to smokescreen the current reality for the three million people currently affected by uncertainty.

Recently, during an interview on LBC radio, the Prime Minister refused to be drawn on whether EU citizens would be “guaranteed” to stay in the UK if there was no deal.

A hundred EU citizens were sent letters by the Home Office telling them they should go home, with children who have spent almost their entire childhood in this country denied permanent residency because they cannot prove they have lived in the UK. Mrs May then claims that there was never any intention to use EU citizens as bargaining chips. Yet International Trade Secretary Liam Fox described this as one of the UK’s “main cards” in our negotiations with the EU.

Groups campaigning for the rights of British citizens living in the EU have made their views clear: the Government needs to give an unequivocal, unilateral guarantee to EU citizens in the UK to best protect their rights. The MPs, council leaders and journalists who advocated Brexit have a moral duty to urge the Government to do this.

They pushed this change and it is their duty to help those most directly impacted by it.
Chris Key

Even after Theresa May’s latest letter, easing the passage of registration for those EU citizens with permanent residence, the rights of large sections of EU citizens will still not be guaranteed.

An offer to give assurance of permanence to those EU families who have lived here for so many decades would, however, ensure a positive response to the future of more than a million UK residents living in the EU and remove the embarrassment of watching so many vulnerable EU citizens being deported under haphazard immigration rules. Such an offer would be a signal to the EU that negotiations are being taken seriously by this government and that we can begin future trade talks.
Wiktor Moszczynski

I see that the Prime Minister has told other European leaders that she wants the UK’s future relationship with the EU to include a “close economic partnership” and envisages us being a strong partner on issues from security, defence and climate change to trade. If only there was a simple way for countries to unite over all of these policies.
Julian Self

It is a wise move to allow our three million EU migrants to stay. But Europe has been the source of only a third of our total immigration. So in what way did EU migration materially contribute to our immigration “problem”?
James McGrory

Planning has to be a long-term vision

Your architecture critic Robert Bevan uses the phrase “a lesson in good manners” to describe Foster & Partners’ Bloomberg HQ [“London’s housing crisis can be solved by reining in middle-class nimbys”, October 18]. However, this is in contrast to the insolent and arrogant edifices that have come to litter parts of London.

It is thus shocking to read of Mark Boleat’s proposals for revising planning rules. While it is true that our planning system does not work optimally and changes are needed, some of Boleat’s suggestions could make matters far worse.

Any new rules should ensure that buildings are integrated with existing streetscapes rather than competing with the surroundings. Heights appropriate to the locale should be observed and balanced provision of public infrastructure and public housing included.

If such an effective framework existed, residents and conservation groups would not be up in arms so frequently.

They are not “nimbys”; what they want to see is long-term and appropriate development of the places in which they live and work, including decent and affordable housing and sensibly designed offices, not get-rich-quick schemes for the super-wealthy.
Penny Laughton

May's cuts to police are unsustainable

No worker can complete a job without the correct tools. First as Home Secretary and now the Prime Minister, Theresa May has completely emasculated the police. Unsustainable budget cuts sanctioned by her have resulted in the reduction of police officers nationally, the closure of police stations, the loss of neighbourhood policing and officers working dangerously long shifts.

May has actively discouraged the use of stop-and-search, imposed restrictive limits on use of bail and has shown scant regard for the police. At a time of unprecedented demand, a rising population and increased terror threats, starving the police of the tools to do its job is lunacy.
Clifford Baxter

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T charge is a start on our air pollution

As business groups and local authorities based in and around central London, we strongly welcome the introduction of the Toxicity Charge (T-charge) on vehicles today.

Air pollution is not only bad for our health, it is bad for business. If we want to continue to attract and keep staff, investment, tourists and major events in London, the air pollution crisis must be addressed. Furthermore, by tackling this issue and making London’s air cleaner and its environment more pleasant, we can give ourselves the edge over other world cities, which is even more important in the wake of Brexit.

The T-charge is the start of change in London that will be good for people and business. We must also see the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in place and expanded as soon as possible, and we strongly welcome the Mayor’s proposal to introduce this in April 2019.

We want to play our part in ensuring our staff and customers have a safe and healthy environment but the Government must also step up and support the diesel-scrappage scheme to help smaller businesses switch to ULEZ-compliant vehicles.

We look forward to enjoying a cleaner, healthier business environment in London.
Susannah Wilks, director, Cross River Partnership

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Football's top brass are so out of touch

Astonishingly, it has been reported that the Football Association chiefs, Greg Clarke and Martin Glenn, have both been told that their jobs are safe following the scandal over Mark Sampson, former manager of the England Women’s football team.

I also note that the Scottish FA has just handed over the temporary management of its national team to Malky Mackay, hardly a man with an unblemished record and never too far from controversy.

What is it with these football administrators? Are they totally out of touch?
Dai Woosnam

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