Brexit one month on... what was the point?

Boris Johnson signs the Brexit agreement - Credit: Andrew Parsons / No10 Downing St

Readers analyse Brexit’s progress one month on and question whether it was worth it.

As Mitch Benn humorously points out, in the face of incontrovertible evidence that Brexit is deeply damaging Britain, Remainers and Leavers must now be asking themselves what was the point of it all.

Take the Brexit mantra ‘Taking back control’. It’s actually gone more in the direction of ‘Lost all Control’ since December 31 as anyone seeing our businesses and industries – including fishing – drown in an avalanche of custom controls, paperwork, border chaos and extra costs will testify.

Rotting Scottish fish, empty Northern Ireland supermarket shelves and the bizarre revelation that government officials have actually advised some British exporters to relocate to the EU to get around the complexity of Brexit restrictions.

And as to the boast of bringing immigration under control, we have managed to see a record exodus of EU citizens from the EU, many with valued skills, scrapped Erasmus and impeded our most talented musicians and artists travelling to Europe. Yet we still see overall non-EU immigration reach record levels. It would be funny if it wasn’t all so tragic.
Paul Dolan,
Northwich

Nick Cohen’s analysis of the motivations of the hard right of the Tory party reminds me of the tactics employed by controlling partners in abusive domestic relationships. First, isolate them from friends and family – hard Brexit cutting us off from all EU institutions and safeguards. Then proceed with your agenda unimpeded – attacking and dismantling the independent institutions of law, governance and public broadcasting. We must raise awareness of what is intended and resist widely and vociferously.
Fiona MacGregor
St Leonards on Sea

Already our UK fishermen have been comprehensively trashed by this government. Johnson was quick to blame it all on the virus. Actually the rotten fish on the dock has got more to do with his own ‘Rotten Deal’. We’ve come a long way from the beneficial deal advertised by the carefully calculated lies and deception of ‘hard-line Brexiteers’ of this government.

Scots fishermen must export shellfish not generally eaten in the UK. Grimsby fish processors must import fish for their production lines. UK fishing was sold out in EU entry and is being sold out again by a Tory Party that couldn’t care less about the lives and livelihoods of the typical low and middle-income British person.

The economist David Blanchflower, formerly of the Monetary Policy Committee, has said that Brexit has no benefits, only increased cost and impediments to EU trade. Unlike this government he does know what he is talking about!
A.D. Gill
Barnstaple

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