Sir, – Fintan O'Toole rightly says that "no-deal zealots have been allowed to talk down the clock" on Brexit ("Ireland should offer UK precious gift of time", Opinion & Analysis, July 24th).
However, it’s not just hardcore Brexiteers who are guilty of bad faith in their handling of the historically important issue of Britain’s withdrawal from the EU.
The new British foreign secretary and former Remain supporter Jeremy Hunt has claimed that the UK government’s shambolic handling of Brexit is, in fact, the fault of Brussels. “Without a real change in approach from the EU negotiators, we do now face a real risk of ‘no deal’ by accident”, he claimed during a visit to Berlin.
This bizarre, as well as scurrilous, attempt by a senior representative of the British government to point the finger of blame at the EU will, no doubt, become a consistent pattern the closer the UK gets to falling off the Brexit cliff without a parachute. – Yours, etc,
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JOE McCARTHY,
Arbour Hill,
Dublin 7.
Sir, – The semi-final marathon between Kevin Anderson and John Isner this year at Wimbledon seemed like a never-ending slog, and the crowd weren’t particularly partisan, but something happened around the 12 games-all mark and they started rooting for the player who at any given moment seemed more likely to put an end to it and move on.
The Brexit debacle came to mind, and I couldn’t help wondering if there were another referendum, would the people vote to remain in the EU, if only to put an end to the boring “news”? – Yours, etc,
PASCAL ROSENSTOCK,
Glasthule,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – It is said that Nero fiddled while Rome burned. The approaching Brexit brush-fires threaten to consume the British economy and, if we are to believe Amazon’s Doug Gurr, ignite civil unrest (News, July 23rd). Yet the British government is still searching ineffectually for a coherent response to the impending conflagration, a full two years after they lit the match that initiated it. On Brexit Day (March 29th, 2019), can we look forward to the sound of a full Conservative Party orchestra? – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL McDERMOTT,
Rathgar,
Dublin 6.
Sir, – Leo Varadkar is quoted as saying “You cannot have your cake and eat it” (“EU reassures Varadkar on Border issues”, News July 19th).
You can have your cake and eat it. What you cannot do is eat your cake and have it. – Yours, etc,
NOEL SLATTERY,
Dundrum,
Dublin 16.
Sir, – One of the key issues that led to the vote in favour of Brexit was immigration. It seemed obvious then and it seems to be becoming increasingly obvious now that Britain wants a hard border in Ireland. What the UK negotiators have been trying to do is to make it seem like the EU is responsible for creating that hard border. – Yours, etc,
DAVE ROBBIE,
Booterstown,
Co Dublin.