It is the time of year for Nobel Prizes, including the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2012, the European Union received the Nobel Peace Prize with the citation: ‘for over six decades it has contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe’.

With the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, this has meant not only no conflict between member states of the EU but also peace in our own country with the end of 30 years of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland celebrated its own Nobel Peace Prize laureates, Betty Williams and Mairead Maguire (then Corrigan) in 1976, but that sadly was at the cost of the loss of lives of three Northern Irish children. The two women founded the interfaith Women for Peace after the three children of Mairead Maguire’s sister were run over and killed by a Provisional IRA fugitive.

A precious peace in Northern Ireland enabled by membership of the European Union is not something to be discarded. Northern Irish children, as all children in all countries, have the right to grow up without fear of violence.

Martha Cross,

Cinder Lane,

Heworth Green, York

Why should we subsidise bankrupt EU countries?

With Germany in recession and their car sales down worldwide - with emission scandals partly to blame - there is no way Angela Merkel will let us leave, let alone agree to any terms.

Only a few countries pay EU bills: the UK is one of the biggest contributors and there are many takers.

Merkel is happy to protect Ireland as an excuse for being obstinate when she cares nothing about Ireland, only our money.

The fools that prevent no deal are destroying any leverage for Boris, who is doing his best to honour our referendum.

I don’t care about his love life, good luck to him. I do care about supporting bankrupt countries with our tax money.

John Zimnoch,

Osbaldwick, York