AS a retired teacher of European languages, a Christian and a convinced British European, I find it difficult to understand why some consider it undemocratic three years later to retake the pulse of the British people with respect to Brexit.

It is, I think, accepted that the assumptions underlying the original plebiscite were ill-founded, and that we are now better informed. What could be more democratic than to seek confirmation or rejection of a decision some at least of us made blindly?

Our leaders cannot continue to rely on the mantra which proclaims they are “respecting the will of the people”. As quoted in The Tablet this week, Edmund Burke underlined the primacy of MPs’ conscience when he remarked: “Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgement; and he betrays instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion.”

Nor can government argue that Brexit being a manifesto pledge, it cannot be re-thought. Suffice it to say that one need not look far to find other election promises it has chosen to disregard.

These arguments are, I suggest, mere sophistry, and none of them address the point: the purposes of Europe. One of these must be to contribute more effectively towards solving the problems which beset humanity and our planet. Think again: it’s not too late.

David Cragg-James,

Stonegrave, York

Brexit mess shows democracy is dead

Democracy is dead. We have a Commons that is full of MPs who vote against the wishes of their constituents and the Party whip, an SNP who will still not accept they are part of the UK, even though they lost their vote for independence, and we have the DUP, who accepted money off the Conservatives in exchange for their support and have now reneged on their promises.

We also have MPs who have resigned from their respective parties and declared themselves as independents.

They were not elected by their constituents as independents, so by rights they should resign their seats and stand for re-election. Possibly they are afraid that if they do this they will lose their seats and the £70,000 per annum that goes with it.

A P Cox,

Heath Close, Holgate, York

Out means out - and we will survive Brexit

YET again, we are hearing that some MPs are hell bent on delivering the Brexit that was voted for by the people by putting their own spin on it, eg the people voted for a good deal, not a no deal.

All I remember was David Cameron telling us it was a one-off vote, in or out, nothing about a deal.

The majority voted out, out means out. We will survive, enough said.

Yvonne Whitfield,

Hawthorns, Riccall