Jonty Bloom’s piece about the anticipated further delays at Dover and elsewhere when the EU’s EES and Etias processes come into force (“More queues, right on cue,” TNE #401) omits to mention that all the delays and the huge cost would have been avoided had we remained in the EU. These inconveniences are further examples of Brexit, the gift that keeps on giving us economic, social, moral and political pain.
Some of us of more advanced years remember travelling through the countries now forming the EU before it – and before Schengen – existed. Border delays added several hours to the journey.
Then along came the EU and did some eminently sensible things like – with enthusiastic support from one M Thatcher – creating the single market and customs union. Wow! If only we had access to them now. The checks and delays disappeared and we – the people, businesses, the nation – all benefited in many different ways.
The government must know that rejoining makes sense, so why won’t they start the process? No amount of slightly closer cooperation in areas of little everyday benefit can get anywhere near the massive gains from being back in the European Union.
Phil Green
Cue the queues… and also cue the queue of media pieces blaming “EU red tape” rather than the self-inflicted wound that is Brexit.
Stuart Shingler
Ex-Tweeters
Re: Leaving X (Marie Le Conte and Letters, TNE #401). In my opinion, if all sensible contributors withdrew, X would lose all credibility. I left it as soon as Elon Musk took ownership. Obviously, nobody noticed my leaving, but if major figures on the political landscape like Alastair Campbell left, others would follow.
Tough question though. Not dissimilar to whether to engage with a racist pub bore and thereby run the risk of giving credence to his views (it’s usually a man), or implicitly condone them by your silence.
Oliver Brabbins
Alastair Campbell needs to get off Twitter. I have never seen such vile, hate-filled, profane comments as the ones recently posted on his timeline. Strangely they coincided with Labour winning the election. Perhaps Musk has rejigged the algorithms? It has become a toxic cesspool.
Ann Shilcock
I have left Twitter. My employer has left, and that spurred me on to quit. Many other companies have followed suit. I’m quite glad to have deleted that evil from my phone.
Julie Dell
I left it in May and have not missed it. I don’t have any social media now, and I feel free. Twitter is a bad place for sick people.
Denny Ford
In the olden days each village was said to have an idiot and villagers knew who their idiot was and largely ignored their views. Twitter has now allowed what were once isolated idiots to talk to each other.
Mark Langford
MPs with no shame
James Ball’s “The cult that ate itself” (TNE #401) was a reassuring exposé of the failure of right wing agitators like Nigel Farage and his Reform compadres to get traction in the UK public sphere. However, for this downward trajectory to continue, the public need to see the same sanctions meted out to the instigators of public disorder as to the foot soldiers.
I find it appalling that serving MPs Richard Tice and Lee Anderson can gleefully post inflammatory statements like “Labour (is) putting illegal migrants ahead of British citizens in housing queue” (Tice on X), or comment on the upcoming trial of long-term anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray: “Let’s hope the court case is costly and keeps our streets clear of this freak show” (Anderson).
Unless robust structures are put in place to silence the lies and misrepresentations of such MPs, I fear these shameless self-promoting individuals will continue to undermine the democratically elected government, and their misguided followers may be stirred into further action.
Carol Hedges
The more the merrier
Ros Taylor’s “Losing the power of speech” (TNE #401) was a very timely article on the sad state of language learning in Britain, but I hope that wrong conclusions will not be drawn regarding the increased teaching of Welsh in Wales. The suppression and near extinction of the language in the 19th century was due to the misguided, though often sincere, view that being bilingual was a handicap to “getting on in the world”, whereas we now know that bilingualism is advantageous when learning further languages.
For a true European, there should not be any conflict between local and wider identity, and we should surely be aiming for “both … and”, rather than “either … or”.
David Pope
Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire
The long march back
Tony Jones (Letters, TNE #401) states with absolute certainty that the UK (re)joining the EU will require signing the Schengen agreement, adopting the euro and participating in an EU army. While I agree that these criteria for joining are likely (and probably desirable), much surely depends on talks.
For example, a requirement to join the Schengen zone will mean the Republic of Ireland doing likewise, but if Dublin wishes to retain its opt-out, then the UK must also stay out. Furthermore, when talks eventually take place, the UK may be in a strong position to insist it retains the pound.
The simple answer is that to join the EU we will have to demonstrate political and economic stability and agree to abide by its rules, but other factors will be down to negotiation. This could be some time ahead, with possibly different circumstances to those currently in place.
Dewi Jones
Pontypool, Wales
Italian connections
Re: The letters on Barga (TNE #401) sparked by Jessica Lionnel’s Carousel article about it (TNE #400). We visited Barga twice in the late 1990s; my niece led walking tours there. I remember going to the bakery and being warmly greeted by a young Italian girl speaking perfect English in a very broad Scottish accent.
It still makes me smile, and she explained to us the close connections of the village to Scotland.
John McVey
Just down the road from Barga is Bagni di Lucca, famed for being on the grand tour for Byron and Shelley and the young aristocrats of the day. It is still a favourite spot for retirees or Brits seeking a new life.
There has been immigration here; it has a Protestant church and graveyard.
It is like Barga and an interesting area, beautiful, blessed with great weather, scenery, food and quality of life. But it faces managing population decline with the need for immigration, and the tensions this brings.
Simon Lawrence
Whys and wherefores
Re: Peter Trudgill on “Wherefore art thou, Romeo?” (TNE #400), in which he explains that the phrase means “for what reason are you here?” rather than “where are you?”
I would like to remind Peter of the word hvorfor. It’s Norwegian (and Danish) for why.
Hvor, on its own, means where and for is for. So there, for me, you have the origins perhaps of the English use of wherefore to mean why.
Guy Mortensen
Devout culture warrior
James Ball is being too charitable by half when he describes GB News co-founder Sir Paul Marshall as a “devout Christian” (“Disinformation station”, TNE #400).
I do not doubt for one moment that this is Sir Paul’s perception of himself. But, as James points out, Sir Paul has become “an avowed culture warrior” and in this capacity co-founded GB News, which is a television channel that appears to specialise in divisive messaging and conspiracy theories.
Sir Paul is no doubt familiar with the Sermon on the Mount in the New Testament and its declaration “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God”. But he doesn’t seem to have kept this key tenet of Christianity in mind when setting up GB News.
We must judge Sir Paul by his actions, not what he claims to be.
David Head
Peterborough
Fuel for thought
At almost 86 I’m not quite one of the millionaire pensioners, but the house I have lived in for 55 years has risen in value over 100-fold tax-free in that time, so it won’t be long. I heartily endorse Liz Gerard’s defence of the government’s decision to limit the winter fuel allowance, though pension credit is too low a cut-off (“The winter fool allowance”, TNE #400).
She is quite right that for many pensioners with additional sources of income, life can be pretty comfortable. But there are many pensioners who are not in such a favourable position, and I hope a more balanced approach to support for the older generation can be reached.
I am grateful to her for drawing attention to the discrepancy between support for the elderly and that for children. This should be corrected.
However, I must draw attention to an error in her article. Not all pensioners receive a free TV licence.
Roger Sturge
Bristol
I first voted Labour in the general election of 1966, when most of the present cabinet were in nappies or not yet born, and have never voted anything but Labour in a general election. On July 4 I voted Labour despite my intense dislike of Keir Starmer’s Middle East policy.
Now, at 80, I find myself deprived of my winter fuel allowance. I feel I’ve just had my pocket picked by people I trusted. Britain already has the meanest state pension in Europe and Labour now plans to make it that bit meaner, to the applause of a section of the party typified by Liz Gerard.
I don’t know if I’ll be alive at the next general election but, if I am, I won’t be voting Labour. I’ve had it with them, and many other pensioners in Red Wall seats, not to mention Scotland and Wales, will feel the same.
Ed Kelly
St Helens, Merseyside
Transfigured
Paola Totaro may not be a native speaker of German, but in TNE #400, “Schoenberg’s Verkalkter Nacht” should have been “Schönberg’s Verklärte Nacht”.
Rodney Mantle
Twickenham
In our defence
Defence is very much in the UK’s DNA, and the key to a new, honoured role for a post-Brexit UK within Europe – the potential prize being better and more user-friendly trade terms with the EU. But only if the government increases the size of HM forces here and now.
Having flexible global capabilities, including aircraft carriers and bases in Gibraltar and Cyprus, helps the UK defend Europe.
My challenge to Brexiteers and to my fellow Remainers is to join forces in the cause of much bigger UK defence spending. It would be good for the UK and good for Europe.
John Barstow
BELOW THE LINE
Comments, conversation and correspondence from our online subscribers
Re: “A politician runs away” (TNE #401). Carles Puigdemont is insufferable. He thinks he’s the emperor of independence. His ego never stops inflating. He failed. His strategy was a total disaster. He LOST. He’s not the future of Catalan independence. It needs new, progressive, more intelligent people. His way is gone. He plays these stunts like he’s a hero but he’s pathetic. Go away and stay away.
Leonard Turton
Re: Mandrake on Nigel Farage (TNE #401). I don’t quite get how he can justify accepting a £32k, two-day trip to the States when that’s more than most of his constituents make the whole year. Might be worth asking a few awkward questions at a surgery… if he’s around to hold one, of course.
Keith Hobbs
Given Farage earns the best part of £100K a week, why on earth is someone else paying for him to go on a jolly to the US? Is he too tight to pay for it himself like the rest of us have to? Man of the PayPal indeed…
Tim Mawby
Re: “The Tories are finished for good if they lurch any further right” by Patience Wheatcroft (TNE #400). They’ve been around since 1834 and know a trick or two about survival, including laying booby traps to cover their retreats.
John Simpson
Re: “The crank who could force Trump’s hand” by James Ball on the TNE website (tinyurl.com/TNEcrank). Would Trump’s hands need much forcing? They are only small.
Grace Dalton
Re: Steve Anglesey on what Starmer should do now to get closer to Europe (tinyurl.com/TNEnext). I agree about rejoining Erasmus Plus. Starmer should also prioritise easier movement both ways for musicians; Britain’s arts are a strong source of “soft power”. As for rejoining anything beyond Erasmus Plus, I suspect Starmer is leaving that for a second term, and I can understand why. But I’ll be 87 by the time he wins a second term – if he does – so any rejoining of the single market will benefit my kids more than me.
Tim Fell
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