A second referendum is the only democratic option at this point

Another referendum has to be the best way of resolving the current stalemate. A general election would be likely to produce another hung parliament, with no majority for any of the options.

A referendum (including a Remain option) would give a definitive mandate, based on the choices of Remain, no-deal Brexit, or the best deal that Theresa May can negotiate (if any). May could then put in place a government of national unity to implement the result. That way she could elevate the will of the people over the bickering of the various factions in the Commons and would rightly be praised for putting the good of the country above appeasing the Tory party.

People suggest that another referendum would be a betrayal of democracy. I think that it would be the most democratic way of achieving a resolution of the current crisis. The Tories do not even have a parliamentary majority, and thus have no authority to act as the sole arbiters of the way in which we should leave the EU. The Brexiteers who oppose another referendum invite the assumption that they only do so because they are afraid of a remain vote, which is not a democratic stance.

Only a definitive referendum offers the prospect of a resolution to this ongoing crisis.

Stefanie O’Bryen
Watlington

The Conservative Party appears to have forgotten that there are clear processes when it comes to “becoming prime minister”. They appear to believe that the rest of us will continue to tolerate the process of having prime ministers rotated at us, from a dwindling cast list, whether we, the people, like them or not.

The only process that we will tolerate is that of a general election, the results of which will determine who will become prime minister – and not the whims of 50 or more folks in the Tory party. Parachuting in an interim prime minister will not do, let alone paving the way for another one afterwards.

John Evans
West Sussex

Here we go again. As if we needed more evidence that senior Tories are more interested in playing politics than the future of the nation, we now have David Davis’s threat or promise or whatever.

I’ve had it with this lot. Up to now, I haven’t been sure that an election would change anything, but now I’ve changed my mind. I’m now certain that I want an election and I want the Labour Party to have the guts to say if you vote for us, we’re staying in the EU. Enough already. I’ve had enough of the inmates running the asylum.

Steve Mumby
Bournemouth

As a doctor, I know we need to be more balanced when we talk about cancer screening

Hats off to Ben Chu and The Independent for writing and publishing the article on celebrity advocacy of prostate cancer screening. It’s incredibly rare to see anyone in the national media acknowledging that the issue is not straightforward – many of us in medicine know that for every difficult problem there is often a simple solution which is almost always wrong. That’s absolutely the case for postage cancer screening.

As an oncologist who has treated prostate cancer patients for many years, I can vouch for how much the national media can influence their decision-making. Counselling against the latest headline in the Daily Mail is often a forlorn task. It is therefore extremely helpful to see an informed and balanced article like this, and I hope that as many men as possible get to read it.

Dr Peter Kirkbride
Wirral

Labour should step up to protect our wildlife

In the light of the catastrophic news that myxomatosis has crossed species from rabbits to brown hares, all killing of hares should be prohibited immediately. The species was already threatened, and this latest news is disastrous.

Historically the power of the farming and bloodsports lobbies have had governments supinely caving in to their demand for the “right” to kill wild animals and birds. This must stop. The animal welfare ramifications of their killing sprees are severe.

Here we are in the 21st century with a horrific and brutal badger cull taking place, wholesale illegal hunting operating all over the countryside, guns in the hands of anyone who fancies some recreational killing, barbaric snares laid all over shooting estates, illegal poisoning of birds of prey, and deliberately introduced disease, all spreading misery, death and destruction to the wildlife that most of us love and do not wish to see harmed. On top of that we have widespread concreting over of the countryside to add to the ghastly picture.

Labour, take note. We rely on you to halt this carnage.

Penny Little
Oxfordshire

Yet another mistake from Trump

President Trump responded to an interview question: “I mean, I’m not a baby.” A statement that seems obvious.

A baby is loud, carries on when they don’t get their way, can’t talk properly and thinks they are the most important person in the world.

There doesn’t seem to be any connection but then there are many ways of looking at the world.

Dennis Fitzgerald
Melbourne