The Reader: Tory Remainers face a tough choice in London seats

In this general election, people are rethinking party loyalty. Tory Remainers have become hesitant to vote Conservative. They are democrats who respect the referendum result, and there are lots of them in marginal seats in London: in Richmond, Putney and Kensington.

If there’s no place in the Conservative Party for Ken Clarke, Philip Hammond and David Gauke, the Tory Remainers wonder if there’s a place for them?

Tory Remainers may also be sceptical about “getting Brexit done”. They suspect Boris Johnson’s withdrawal deal is far from the end of Brexit.

But what is the alternative? Jo Swinson and the Liberal Democrats’ position on revoking Article 50 is very off-putting. What the Tory Remainers want is someone to stop a hard Brexit later on.

Most importantly, voting Lib Dem might let in Labour. They really don’t like Jeremy Corbyn and want a more effective leader of the opposition. So in these marginal seats in London, they are in a bind.
Clarissa Agnew, Host of Not Another One! A podcast with think tank Onward

Editor's reply

Dear Clarissa​

The choice between the extremes of getting Brexit with the Tories and Marxism with Labour has left many feeling unsure how to vote. But in elections you’re also choosing someone to be your leader and deal with whatever the world throws at us.

Much as I admire my local Lib Dem candidate, Sam Gyimah, I can’t in all conscience have any part in putting Jeremy Corbyn into that position of authority. He is completely unfit to be our Prime Minister.

If I had an independent Conservative candidate standing in my seat, such as David Gauke, Dominic Grieve, Anne Milton and Anna Soubry, I’d probably vote for them. But there isn’t one. So I’ll be voting Conservative on Thursday — and go on fighting to bring the party back to the mainstream.
Best wishes, George Osborne, Evening Standard Editor

EU democracy and how it works​

Will Podmore [The Reader, December 5] notes that “if we don’t like what [politicians] do, we can chuck the rascals out” and asks rhetorically about chucking out EU commissioners. In making this comparison he has perhaps been led astray by some of our politicians’ lies.

EU commissioners correspond more or less to the permanent secretaries of UK government departments, over whom voters likewise have no power.

We do, of course (until Brexit), get to vote for MEPs who — in collaboration with the European Council of nationally elected ministers — make the decisions about EU laws.
Richard Mellish

Tube crime: just get it sorted

You report a 41.5 per cent increase in crime on the Underground compared to last year [“183 crimes every day on London buses and Tube ”, December 5].

This does not say much for the effectiveness of the surveillance in place, which Tube users are reminded of in continual announcements ending in the slogan “See it, say it, sorted”. I suggest the sole effect of them is annoyance to passengers — and if anything should be “sorted” it is these announcements.
W Ramsay

Sleep Out showed common ground​

We were part of a multi-faith group joining the World’s Big Sleep Out on Saturday night . Along with hundreds of others, we slept out in the cold and rain to show our support for an end to global homelessness.

London is one of the greatest cities in the world and it is an outrage that there are 170,000 homeless people in the city and several thousand rough sleepers every night. The fact that last year 148 people died on the streets of London should shame us all.

We all have a responsibility towards our fellow humans, from whatever creed, faith or background. It is up to government, business, charities and faith groups to work together to help the homeless.

By one night of sleeping out, we have not even begun to solve the problem. Far from it. But we showed that in an age of rancour and division, our common humanity overrides our differences.
Zaki Cooper, Co-chair, Indian Jewish Association
Mustafa Field, Director, Faiths Forum for London
The Reverend Anthony Ball, Canon, Westminster Abbey