Readers' letters

The cost of the EU Referendum was around £150m. Over 33.5 million people were led to believe the outcome of this referendum would be definitive and legally binding. Apparently not!

Lord Thomas – a founding member of the European Law Institute – and his two colleagues made it clear it was nothing more than a rather expensive exercise to see how the country felt about membership of the European Union. The three main reasons why the majority voted to leave the EU were simple:

n Our independence to govern our own country – where British law is supreme.

n To control immigration from, or through, the EU – selecting only the ‘talented’ ones we need.

n To save over £10bn per annum (net) in payments to the EU. That money should be spent on OUR infrastructure, not bailing out other EU countries.

Germany and her allies in the European Union have made it abundantly clear that Britain cannot benefit from membership of the single market (or any other benefits of being in the EU) without accepting free movement of people. In practice this would mean we are still ruled by Brussels – unable to control our borders or immigration and paying billions annually to the EU.

I would personally be prepared to join 17.4 million others to march through London to make sure justice is served and our British democracy is upheld.

Harvey Carter, Newton

Democracy’s a mythical beast

After the High Court ruling that the Government cannot trigger Article 50 without Parliament’s approval, the courts have emphasised that the ‘democracy’ politicians often lovingly talk about is little more than a mere, mythical beast. Instead, democracy is overruled by something called ‘parliamentary democracy’, which is a totally different set-up entirely.

Of course, the European Referendum was only an advisory one, but something that Parliament would be highly foolish to overturn, as it would certainly illuminate to voters that it is MPs who actually call the shots within the UK and not its electorate.

However, it is clear that a majority of MPs, particularly Labour MPs, don’t want Brexit at all. Neither a soft version or one of a harder variety.

Mrs May didn’t want Brexit, or so we were all led to believe before the referendum. Now we are told that she really means business, that Brexit means Brexit and it’s going to be one with a hard landing. Not surprising really, considering that it was actually Tory voters who tended to vote leave and, despite the hype about Corbyn not pulling his weight, a majority of Labour voters who wanted to ‘remain’. Strange that?

Paul Dodenhoff via email

We need to curb Executive power

The High Court ruling that the Prime Minister must seek Parliamentary approval before invoking Article 50 has resulted in vile threats being made against the leader of the group that sought a legal ruling, and abuse directed at the judges concerned. Not only is such behaviour despicable, it is an alarming demonstration of ignorance of our constitutional system. If a country is to function as a genuine liberal democracy, it is essential that the Executive is subject to scrutiny by the Judiciary. Where this check is absent dictatorship flourishes.

The delay caused by the ruling may be exasperating, but it is worth bearing if we are to enjoy genuine liberty. The ruling is not ignoring the will of the people. It is simply stating that the Legislature has the right to examine what is being proposed by the Government. We should heed the words of Edmund Burke: “The greater the Executive power and the more it is left unfettered, the more dangerous the likely abuse.”

Dr Barry Clayton, address supplied

Happy times at ‘Hi-de-Hi’ camp

I noted your photo of a postcard relating to Middleton Towers Holiday camp (LEP October 18), and your request for any memories of holidays spent there.

My parents took me and my sister there for our annual summer holiday in the early 1950s.

We were joined by friends who had the newsagents next to my father’s butchers shop.

This was of course the Preston Wakes week when shops closed.

We could not leave for the holiday camp until the shop was closed late on Saturday and my father left us at the camp on Tuesday so he could reopen the shop on Wednesday for fear of losing customers.

He came back to pick us up Saturday.

There was always a big variety show in the Berengaria Theatre on Sunday nights, but you never knew who the top of the bill was as it was advertised as Mr X or a Mystery Star.

Mr X turned out to be Joseph Lock, the most popular singer of the day, and the Mystery Star was George Formby.

I can only presume that their performance was ‘cash in hand’ which cut out the taxman, hence not naming them.

I thoroughly enjoyed my holidays there with the ‘Olympic’-sized swimming pool , tennis courts, football pitches and a large indoor games room with snooker, table tennis, darts and so on.

The TV series Hi-de-Hi was Middleton Towers to perfection but that is not a criticism.

I have many happy memories of our stays there which were reasonably priced and included three meals a day.

Frank Schofield via email

Poppies are

a thank you

How dare a shower like FIFA tell us that we can’t wear shirt poppies for the England v Scotland match this week.

They are not a political statement.

They are a grateful thank you to the millions who didn’t come home, and those who did.

Still, the worst sanction FIFA can impose on us is a points deduction, and should that be a big one, we may not qualify, and that would save us from the usual humiliation!

Can’t lose!

Allan Fazackerley via email