Sir, – Could Nigel Farage leave the door open on his way out, please? – Yours, etc,
CIANA CAMPBELL,
Ennis,
Co Clare.
Sir, – Rule Britannia. Somebody? Please? – Yours, etc,
BARRY CUNNINGHAM,
Maynooth,
Co Kildare.
Sir, – So Nigel Farage has again decided to quit as Ukip leader. Fingers crossed this time he won't "unresign" and that his departure is adieu rather than au revoir. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL CULLEN,
Sandycove,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – Cameron is going, Corbyn is being pushed, Boris was stabbed in the back, Farage is jumping ship, and when we thought there was no one else left, Chris Evans is going. If they keep this up, there will be no one left to leave the EU. – Yours, etc,
JOHN ROGERS,
Rathowen,
Co Westmeath.
A chara, – In a strange turn of events, it appears now that the only Government representing the needs and desires of the majority in Northern Ireland at EU level in the coming Brexit negotiations will be our own Government here in the Republic, given the dominance of the right in a Tory party, which seems to care little or nothing about the constituent countries of the UK outside of "Ancient Anglia".
As Fintan O'Toole indicates, the importance of EU membership to Northern Ireland is of little interest to the Conservative Party in Westminster, and indeed many are inimical to the landmark Belfast Agreement, which has ensured that my generation have never known war on this island ("Belfast Agreement is a threat to the new English nationalism", Opinion & Analysis, July 5th).
This seems to leave the Irish Government between a rock and a hard place in Brexit negotiations, where we may find ourselves to be the only country on the UK’s side in order to achieve the best deal for Irish trade and freedom of movement on the island. The result may depend on what we truly cherish most – unhindered trade with our greatest economic partner, or peace and prosperity north of the Border. – Is mise,
MANUS CARLISLE,
Clontarf, Dublin 3.
Sir, – Michael Gove, in relation to his erstwhile colleague Boris Johnson, says it’s okay to change your mind. I couldn’t agree more. To paraphrase Mr Gove, we have had the chance to see up close and personal how the Leave campaigners have dealt with some of the decisions we needed to make. During that period we had expected them at the very least to have a plan – any plan – for how to take the United Kingdom forward. I am afraid they have not even passed this simple test.
Surely, on this basis, it would be extremely foolhardy to proceed with Brexit. – Yours, etc,
DAVID CLARKE,
Edinburgh.
Sir, – It is a fallacy for Enda Kenny to maintain that there is passport-free travel between Britain and Ireland. While this is certainly true at the destination in Britain, it is most certainly not true on arrival at an Irish airport, where passports are mandatory.
Recently I had the occasion to engage in a major disagreement with an official at Dublin airport, as I only had my driving licence as a means of identification. The officer contended that he had no way of knowing that I had not arrived from another, non-British, destination.
The fact of the matter is that in Britain they segregate Irish arrivals, meaning one can just walk freely through the exit. The Irish authorities have been extremely tardy for years now and do not segregate arrivals from Britain, whereas it was once the case.
This is a matter of much annoyance among the large numbers of both personal and business travellers arriving from Britain.
The Taoiseach and his Ministers should forgo the executive jet and fly commercial on occasion in order to see the problem at first hand. – Yours, etc,
JOHN TURNER,
Foxrock,
Dublin 18.