May’s comments on the rights of EU citizens are despicably xenophobic

Faced with universal hostility towards her Brexit deal, Theresa May has resorted to a strategy she invariably turns to when she is in political trouble – she invokes racism. May insisted that her deal’s great merit was that it would stop EU migrants “jumping the queue”.

This the same Theresa May who as home secretary deliberately set out to create a hostile environment for immigrants. This is the Theresa May who was behind the notorious “racist van” fiasco. This is the Theresa May who promised parliament she would “deport first and hear appeals after”. This is the Theresa May responsible for the Windrush scandal. This is the Theresa May who took no action against Boris Johnson when he described Muslim women who chose to wear the burqa as “bank robbers“ and “letterboxes”.

The European parliament’s Brexit coordinator, Guy Verhofstadt, put Theresa May right when he reminded her that: “EU citizens living, working, contributing to UK communities didn’t ‘jump the queue’ and neither did UK nationals in Europe. They were exercising rights which provided freedom and opportunities. We will fight to ensure these continue in the future, especially after any transition.”

But Theresa May’s filthy tactics of division and hate are a reminder that the Tory Party remains the nasty party, and that it is a racist party from the top down.

Sasha Simic
London

I am struck by the comments of Theresa May that her Brexit plan will stop EU migrants “jumping the queue” when it comes to working in the UK.

How low the UK has sunk that its Brexiteer government is now resorting to spreading resentment towards European citizens, classing them as “queue jumpers”. These individuals took no part in this mess and work here legally and contribute to the country in so many different ways.

They have the same general right of freedom of movement that allows British people the opportunity to work in Berlin and Paris, or retire in Spain.

Even so, their reward seems to been an increasingly hostile atmosphere. Ms May makes no mention of those British “queue jumpers” in other EU countries, symptomatic no doubt of the same attitude that classes those Brits abroad as “expats”, while those from the other EU countries who come to work here are “immigrants”, an increasingly negative term.

Since the referendum in 2016 there has been an alarming increase in both veiled and more explicit verbal abuse to EU nationals, and this will no doubt increase as the negative impacts of Brexit become clearer. Scapegoats will be required. Step forward those innocent EU nationals in our midst.

The UK has taken a wrong turn, as exhibited by the dogwhistle politics of Theresa May and her Tory government.

As the UK enters full panic mode, the victim of a bitter and corrupted Etonian gamble gone very wrong, we must do all that we can to support those EU nationals in our midst and defy this vile populist rhetoric.

Alex Orr
Edinburgh

Why doesn’t Corbyn offer a Final Say?

Ms May is slowly gaining admiration, even among those who disagree with her policy, for taking on the extremists in her party. While she is doing that Corbyn is still refusing to comply with the wishes of the majority of his MPs, his party conference and, if opinion polls are to be believed, the majority of labour voters who all want a people’s vote.

He could so easily have become the hero of the hour by getting behind the second referendum and declaring that the people must not be bound by a decision made based on lies provided mainly by Conservative Brexiteers. That would have guaranteed him the lion’s share of the 48 per cent who voted against Brexit, and a lot of the Brexit supporters who want to change their mind. He could have been facing a Blair-style landslide vote.

Instead he looks to be as unelectable as Boris Johnson, determined to sacrifice his party and the country for his ego and political dogma. There is very little space between them. Corbyn is now looking like a dictator in waiting who is going to follow his path regardless of the wishes of his party or the people. I might have been prepared to vote for a dictator to stop Brexit and save this country, but I will not vote for one to carry on ramming something the people do not want down their throats.

Philip Wheeler
Address supplied

The Tories should be held accountable for austerity

I would like to know what the rest of the UK thinks about the deaths of thousands of ill and disabled people in the UK, all totally avoidable. Taxes for the rich should have been increased – instead what we got was cruel and unnecessary cuts. This was an act of democide. Criminal charges should be bought against the Tory government who caused it – not one member of the party but the whole lot. Instead they sit in their castles bickering like five year olds: these people run Britain! We have to ask ourselves, why are they still in power when they’re destroying so many lives and communities?

Stella Salter
Address supplied

Approve May’s deal – hold a referendum in return

Is it not time for responsible politicians to realise that the United Kingdom needs a solution to the current chaos? Would there be a majority in parliament for approving the deal which has been negotiated, but on the basis that there will be a second referendum to decide whether we leave on these terms or do not leave at all?

Obviously there will be Brexiteers who will oppose this solution. It would, however, enable there to be a solution which provides the certainty of a known basis for leaving (which most of us must accept is the best that can be achieved), but with the capability for the British people to have a second chance thoughtfully to consider, in the light of what has happened in the past two years, whether leaving the EU is really what they want.

Am I missing something?

Andrew Balfour
Witham, Essex

Brexit will only make austerity worse

Martin Deighton is to be congratulated on his rational, pragmatic analysis of the Brexit situation. I think many of those who have followed this sorry saga would agree with his final sentiments.

His logic is compelling, not least because no Brexit is best for the economy, and a strong economy, fairly regulated, allows us to put an end to the deprivations of austerity. Surely, in the light of the UN report on the state of poverty in this country, we should expect politicians to prioritise the lives of ordinary people through their actions as well as their words; no Brexit is the best way to do this. Unfortunately, the report, which is a shameful reflection of the beliefs and values of recent political leaders, is now being rubbished as, apparently, politically motivated. Really?

Of course, many politicians do not bring a rational or pragmatic approach to Brexit because they are driven by ideological motives of one kind or another. The Conservatives are in crisis for this reason. It also explains why we have seen such poor leadership from Jeremy Corbyn regarding Brexit. It seems to me that he is biding his time in the hope that the Tories will implode over Brexit, leaving him free to get elected. He is happy for us to leave the EU at almost any price. Then he can implement his programme free of EU regulation.

So he has abandoned the weak and vulnerable now and will do so in the future, in the hope of implementing some sort of socialist utopia eventually. But this may not happen, and what about helping people now? It isn’t good enough.

David Lowndes
Soberton, Hampshire