Jonathan Freedland is right to highlight the disastrous role played by David Cameron and George Osborne in using the prospect of an in/out referendum to garner votes in the 2015 election, with a view to dropping it if the expected coalition with the Lib Dems emerged (Britain is a swamp of lies and disinformation – and we got here on the Brexit bus, 5 June).
But even their win with a majority did not necessitate the calamity the country suffered. They could have kept their referendum commitment, but demanded that those proposing leave come up with a model for it to be put to the electorate as the “out” option.
That would have split the leavers, many of whom said we shouldn’t leave the single market, while others wanted a hard Brexit. I doubt that they would have agreed on a model, and it would have delayed the referendum significantly – and perhaps stopped it altogether.
Gareth Jones
Portishead, Somerset
Jonathan Freedland cites the estimated 6% to 8% drop in GDP caused by Brexit. Using the conservative figure of 6% and the 2025 GDP figure, this equates to about £180bn annually. Therefore the infamous bus should be sent out again, bearing the slogan “Brexit is costing us £3,460m a week”.
Jim Barton
Peebles, Scottish Borders
In his otherwise excellent article, Jonathan Freedland misses out on the initial great lie that served to set up the Brexit fiasco. This was the one told by David Cameron and George Osborne, along with their Lib Dem partners, which ushered in the age of austerity. The lie was that it was the previous Labour government’s spending that caused the banking crash in 2008.
The ensuing cuts added to the current reality of economic and community life that led many to want radical change. Who to blame now? Europe and immigration of course, and so the die was cast and the “swamp of lies” gets ever larger.
David Wilkinson
Skipton, North Yorkshire
Jonathan Freedland’s article hits the nail on the head. I would welcome Britain back into the European family, but for the right reasons: namely, embracing our European values as equal nations.
Decades ago, Britain joined the EU for precisely the economic reasons illustrated in this article but still bore a grudge over its lost powers and, in tandem with a cavalier quasi-feudal elite, this produced the known outcome.
We continental Europeans are very aware of this, and I am sure we will not engage in any talks without sufficient evidence of British dedication to establish a fruitful and durable relationship that reaches beyond economic prosperity.
Anja Hansen
Frankfurt, Germany