EU negotiator Michel Barnier is clear that “Brexit means Brexit – everywhere” and the logic of the situation to France, if not the UK, is that there's no such thing as a soft Brexit. If we refuse the free movement of labour we cannot have the other freedoms. That would be an unacceptable end run around the terms of EU membership.
The departure of the European Banking Authority to Paris and the European Medicines Agency to Amsterdam (“Nearly 1,000 UK jobs lost in Brexit switch”, The Herald, November 21) are but the start of our self-inflicted hardship. My French relatives are convinced that Nissan-Renault and Peugeot will also transfer jobs from "Leave-voting" Sunderland and Ellesmere Port to Flins and Sochaux.
Theresa May appears willing to spend to the north of £40 billion on an EU trade "deal" manifestly inferior to the access we currently have to the world's largest single market. I suggest the country be given a vote on the terms of such an outcome. If we still vote Brexit we are clearly so perverse we deserve the disaster about to enfold.
Rev Dr John Cameron,
10 Howard Place, St Andrews.
“BREXIT means Brexit”, said Michel Barnier. However, he added another small word pregnant with meaning and significance: “everywhere”.
At a stroke, he took Theresa May’s much-spouted dictum, which had had additions such as “red, white and blue”, and turned it back on itself showing the true logical interpretation of the intention behind Theresa May’s utterances. It applies everywhere. Out of the single market and out of the customs union, then there can be no cherry-picking.
His position was clearly stated after Article 50 was activated and the logical outcome was obvious, but No 10 and the Brexiters chose to shut their ears to the message ever since.
Everywhere means Everywhere. As a Scot would say: “Ye ken noo.”
John Edgar,
4 Merrygreen Place, Stewarton.
ACCORDING to Conservative MP Robert Halfon, the British people would “go bananas” if expected to pay £40 billion for a Brexit deal (“May urged to walk away from Brexit talks if EU will not discuss trade”, The Herald, November 21). The British people cited are presumably that small majority who voted leave in the referendum. It could be argued, I believe, that they showed when they voted that they were already bananas, so what will be new?
The whole question of the so-called EU divorce settlement is unedifying in the extreme. It appears that having previously entered into a number of commitments to EU budgets for the period covering 2019, the UK Government is now simply trying to renege on these as part of its Brexit fantasy. This is another potential nail in the coffin of Britain as a reliable international dealer. How much more of this nonsense must we endure?
Dr RM Morris,
Veslehaug, Polesburn, Methlick, Ellon.
PREDICTABLY Scottish Labour’s newly elected leader, Richard Leonard, was quizzed by the media on a range of potentially contentious matters during his first full working day in the new role. His responses proved to be something of a mixed bag.
Many will applaud his refusal to join the feeding frenzy against his predecessor Kezia Dugdale’s decision to appear on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here , saying he was “not persuaded” it warranted her being suspended from the Labour group. Equally, he showed honesty and a confidence in his origins, saying that he would support England in a football game between Scotland and England, rightly eschewing any thought of giving a more “politically correct’”answer (“Leonard: I’ll back England”, The Herald, November 21).
More worrying, and far more serious politically, is Mr Leonard’s support for the 111 powers returning from the EU under Brexit, coming direct to Scotland, rather than initially to Westminster. No doubt he feels this shows support for Scottish devolution, but surely he recognises the risks in handing Nicola Sturgeon 111 opportunities to veto a successful Brexit for the UK as a whole? After all, the SNP leadership clearly hopes to use Brexit as a lever to prise Scotland out of the UK.
Richard Leonard would do well to remember that previous leaders of Scottish Labour have learnt the hard way that trusting Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP to do the right thing, will always be used against you and in favour of breaking up the UK.
Keith Howell,
White Moss, West Linton, Peeblesshire.
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