Those who don’t vote presumably don’t care

I SO agree with Mel Burley, (Letters, November 16). Those who do not vote cannot be claimed by either side in any referendum or election. It seems fair to assume that those who care vote, and those who don’t care, don’t. Presumably they are happy to accept either decision.

As for Brexit, although the balance of opinion at the time of the referendum was in favour of leaving the EU, nowadays most people are agreed – just make a decision and get on with it. We have endured almost four years of comment, opinion and harmful uncertainty which has done the country more damage than either leaving or staying. I even heard someone in the supermarket a few days ago blaming the bad weather on Brexit! It is becoming a joke.

We have about four more weeks of solemn MPs and would-be MPs gazing sincerely into the camera lens promising their version of a wonderful future if only we vote for them. It’s embarrassing.

Now we are offered the opportunity of choosing, from those who offer themselves, who should form our next government. Will they be any more decisive than our current politicians? Will they be willing to risk unpopularity? We can only hope.

Pamela Brown,

Goodwood Grove, York

Here’s a fact: more voted Leave than Remain

So only a small percentage of the electorate voted to leave, (Letters, November 18). Well, that means an even smaller percentage voted to remain, whilst the rest of the electorate (excepting those unable to vote because of illness) were too lazy to participate or couldn’t care less what happened.

What is so wrong then, in honouring the result?

If staying in the EU is so great, why the heck were we given the chance to come out?

If nothing else, Leave and Remain voters have given the rest of the electorate a kick up the backside to start showing an interest in politics and what becomes of us as a nation.

Please don’t say ‘many voters have died since 2016’: it sounds unkind and quite ridiculous.

As for Boris commenting on Northern Ireland, I can only assume he meant access to the single market and freedom of movement is best for them as being the only part of the UK which would be joined to an EU country were we to leave.

L.Walker,

Low Well Park,

Wheldrake, York

Language of political discourse is degraded

In 2016 voters agreed that the United Kingdom leave the EU. No one voted for Brexit - there was certainly no plan for what was to follow that vote and little public discussion of the complexities of leaving; that was dismissed as ‘Project Fear’.

The language of political discourse was degraded, its issues oversimplified and polarised, generating divisiveness.

The discussion has been about ‘deals’, but our United Kingdom is not simply an economy. The language remains that of the rich wanting to become richer: ignore the climate crisis, forget what secures human well-being – get better deals.

We now have a deal with which the Northern Irish and the Scots are unhappy.

Brexiteers seem happy to lead a Disunited Kingdom out of the EU into profits new. Was that the will of the people? It was certainly not on the ballot paper.

Our democracy requires representative Parliament; that is the people’s principal defence against autocracy. They were given an impossible task; long excluded from discussion, their indecision is that of a divided Britain. They are not to blame.

Peter Doble,

Witham Drive, Huntington

Leave won, no ifs, no buts. That’s democracy

I refer to the letter by Christian Vassie (Most people voted neither to leave nor to stay, November 16).

Let’s look at what the EU referendum numbers mean: 12,922,659 people decided not to vote in 2016. I think it is fair to think that they did not care what the outcome was: if they did care they should have cast their votes.

Under the first past the post system that prevails, the Leave vote won, no ifs no buts - that’s democracy. I would love to know how many Remain voters are not democrats.

As far as older people dying and new voters coming through: let us put off all voting, because there will never be a static demographic of electorate. It was as it was in June 2016, and if the majority of MPs had pulled their fingers out, there is a fair chance that we would not be where we are today.

With regard to comments by Boris Johnson: he was one of many, on both sides, who were economic with what may, or may not turn out to be the truth.

I may add, I made my own mind up on how I would vote, not swayed by any individual comments or campaign buses, as I believe the majority of those who voted, which ever way, did.

Gregor Pickston, Willow Rise,

Thorpe Willoughby, Selby