Having been a member of the Conservative Party, and an activist for the last 28 years, the political events over the last three years, and particularly the last week, have led me to become disillusioned with their policies and the party as a whole.

That is why I have taken the decision to leave and instead join the Liberal Democrats.

In York, I spent a total of eight years as a Conservative Councillor in the city, including serving three years as deputy leader of the Conservative Group.

However, during the 2016 EU Referendum, like many other Conservative voters, I decided to vote Remain.

Since the Referendum, the Conservative leadership has lurched to the far right of British politics, abandoning moderate, Liberal and pro-European members and voters such as I. Instead, they have become the new UK Independence Party, or the Brexit Party; attempting to subvert parliamentary democracy for their hard Brexit agenda.

It is clear that the Conservative Party no longer represents my views.

It is therefore with a sense of regret for the past but optimism for the future that I am delighted to be joining a united, tolerant and outward looking Liberal Democrat team here in York, buoyant from recent victories in the local and European elections, leading the campaign for Remain and standing up for communities across the city.

Paul S Healey,

St Martins Lane, York

Suspending Parliament now is dangerous

During the 2016 referendum the Brexiteers declared that Brexit would return powers of governance from the EU to Parliament. Yet Boris Johnson, in trying to prorogue Parliament, is attempting to remove its power of governance for five weeks. To be sure, proroguing Parliament is no new thing. But to do so now, at a crucial moment in the nation’s affairs, would prevent MPs from attending to those affairs. It would also set a dangerous precedent.

Boris Johnson is legally entitled to prorogue Parliament. But he would also be distorting the conventions of parliamentary governance. This is more than odd. It is dangerous.

David Martin,

Rosedale Avenue, Acomb

Sign petition to stop this suspension

I’m appalled that the Government is attempting to suspend Parliament this month. With the Brexit deadline around the corner, it means MPs would not have time to pass laws to stop a no-deal Brexit or scrutinise the Government at one of the most critical times in our country’s history.

This is an outrage and undermines the very idea of democracy. With just a few weeks before Brexit, we need politicians in Parliament, doing their jobs to make sure we leave the European Union in the best possible way for the sake of future generations. That’s why I’ve joined the campaign calling for Boris Johnson not to suspend Parliament to ram through an undemocratic Brexit.

This is the time for MPs to showcase bold and decisive leadership. I’d like to encourage everyone else in our area to sign the petition at Change.org/StopTheCoup #stopthecoup

Michael McCaffrey,

Lycett Road, York

Playing and playing the tired old Brexit 78

Once again today Geoff Robb puts on the tired old Brexit 78 rpm record which over three years has worn out (Letters, September 3).‘How conveniently the vociferous, plotting Remainers ignore the facts,’ he says. But Geoff Robb is the one in denial, deluding himself that on June 23, 2016, he was the only person on planet Earth who knew how this Brexit mess would pan out.

He drones on about ignoring facts. I haven’t heard him talk about the millions of older people who voted leave in 2016 and are now dead, nor about the younger people who couldn’t vote in 2016. He cares not a jot about the 98 per cent of Remainers in Gibraltar, the Scots, or the Irish border implications. Our political system is split asunder. The autocrat we have leading the country, running scared over a second referendum, couldn’t care less how we leave, as long as we leave.

William Moore,

Lochrin Place, York

Of course Boris lied - all politicians do

Alan Robinson (Letters, September 3) asked, do I agree Boris lied about his reasons for prorogation? Of course he lied, most politicians lie on a daily basis. Instead Boris let the grin on his face tell the truth.

The use of the Royal Prerogative is the vital safeguard of our democracy. No free state can invest absolute power in a single political body and expect it not to degenerate into tyranny.

The Queen is our ultimate political referee, there to hold parliament to account on our behalf. The current parliament is no longer representative of the public, hence it’s her duty to intervene now. Boris is using these powers to send MPs back to face their real sovereigns, the electorate.

It’s not a coup, it’s a return of sovereign power to the people, something Remain MPs will now seek to block, despite having demanded it for over three years.

I look forward to the coming general election, which should break the Brexit deadlock and leave many prolific Remain MPs’ ears ringing to the famous taunt of the late James Goldsmith: out, out, out.

Dr Scott Marmion, Woodthorpe

Referendum wasn’t a best-of-three

I noticed on Saturday all the banners demanding democracy. They were asking for a people’s vote. That is obviously a people’s vote to overturn a people’s vote that didn’t go the way they wanted.

What part of English law and the English language do they not grasp? It was a democratically held referendum in 2016 with only two choices - stay in or leave. That was your democratic people’s vote. It is not a penalty shoot out ie, best of 3 or best of 5. It was a one-off so live with it.

M Horsman,

Moorland Road, York

Leave voters have been treated like nobodies

The Times Crossword. Clue: Insignificant people. Answer: Nobodies. That’s every one of us who voted leave.

I never voted conditions for leaving, just leave, regardless.

John Zimnoch,

Osbaldwick, York

Democracy is dead if leave vote is betrayed

Democracy is dead! When twenty-one people can legally scupper the wishes of 17.4 million something has gone badly wrong!

Peter Rickaby,

West Park, Selby