“IT would be a preposterous act of betrayal of the British people if a second (sic - actually third) referendum were called in an endeavour to resolve the Brexit shambles,” wrote Chris Moncrieff (The Press, December 18).

There are deaths, there are births: the British people is constantly changing.

Peter Kellner, past president of the polling organisation YouGov, therefore a man professionally bound to be non-partisan and as accurate as possible, comes to the following conclusions.

Older voters supported Brexit by two to one: young voters overwhelmingly opposed it.

Some 600,000 Britons die each year; 700,000 come of age.

Assuming no minds are changed, and allowing for the percentage of eligible votes cast by different age groups, death removes 320,000 leavers and 160,000 remainers.

Coming of age adds 60,000 leavers and 395,000 remainers - a net reduction in leave majority of 500,000 a year or 1,350 a day.

This means the leave majority vanishes on January 19, 2019. Repeat: if no minds are changed.

He further finds that 59 per cent of voters want another ballot anyway: 64 per cent want another ballot if the choice becomes one between no deal or no Brexit.

Theresa May may call for unity as much as she likes; she will not get it while pursuing a course opposed by the majority of the British people.

Robert Stevens,

Bootham Crescent, York

I’d vote to stay in second referendum

I AM one of the “oldies” (much hated by the Remainers), who voted for our leaving the EU.

I based my decision on our (British) having that wonderful oft-quoted Dunkirk spirit, which we could rely on to help us weather whatever storm we had to deal with, be it an invasion from a heavily-armed opponent or ploughing our own furrow in the world of trade deals.

However, the way Theresa May is (mis)handling the exit negotiations and the recent drone-inspired total closure of Gatwick Airport has made me realise governments of today aren’t anywhere near the governments of Churchill, Atlee or Thatcher.

Could anyone imagine any of our recent leaders ordering the immediate defence of the Falklands the way Maggie did in 1984?

I wouldn’t be at all surprised if there aren’t many, like me, who are having similar doubts about the wisdom of leaving the EU.

Current feelings among the people who did vote to Remain are to have another referendum, as “many of the old people who voted to leave the EU will have died so their votes have died with them”.

Rather a macabre reason, true though it may possibly be.

Which brings me round to my volte-face.

Presented with another leave or stay referendum, I’m sure I’d vote to stay.

After all, the future belongs to the young of today not we oldies, who will have gone to our final dry-docking.

Philip Roe,

Roman Avenue South,

Stamford Bridge

Establishing a few facts on Remainers

I DOUBT that ardent leaver A V Martin does irony, so I assume he is serious when he associates the remain campaigners with “the Establishment” (Letters, December 7)?

So, they're unlike those working class men of the people, Messrs Farage, Johnson and Rees-Mogg, who support your wish for Brexit, eh AV?

Dave Barker,

Fern Close,

Huntington,York