LETTER: Overwhelming amount written about Brexit

SIR – No-one can yet say how Brexit will happen by March 29^th when the UK is due to leave the EU. They may ask for an extension. A ‘No Deal Brexit’ looms on the horizon with uncertainties for Ireland and the UK.

Surprises in politics can happen. An agreement could be reached in the final days.

When most of the mainstream media in the US predicted Donald Trump could not win the 2016 US Presidential election. They were surprised and shocked when he did.

Respected journalists in the UK believed the 2016 Brexit referendum on leaving the EU would be won by the remain side by a narrow margin, but they too were surprised when 51.9% voted to leave and 48.1% to remain. It was near a 50/50 split with 17,410,742 votes to leave and 16,141,241 to remain; a winning margin of over 1m. Millions of voters did not vote at all for a clearer margin one way or the other.

Scotland and Northern Ireland majorities voted to remain while a majority in England and Wales voted to leave. The total majority in the UK wins.

Every council in Scotland voted to remain with a national vote of 62%. If Scotland was an independent country, the result would have been acted on as the clear majority of its people wanting to stay in the EU rather than the result being ignored as it is in Westminster. It shows the democratic cracks in the United Kingdom.

Over 600 MPS representing all parts of the UK were unable to come together to decide the best way forward. A decision was at last made this month when a big majority of MPs voted against the UK-EU Brexit deal negotiated by the British PM and her cabinet.

The EU waits to hear what the MPs do want. It is, as the cliché says, 'hard to see the wood for the trees.'

When British PM, Theresa May, had a snap election in 2017 convinced she would win more seats and lost a slim majority the Tory party won in 2015 for the first time in a long time under her predecessor, David Cameron, they were again relying on others to stay in power and to now get Brexit through. Another reason why this has dragged on.

David Cameron was asked did he regret holding the referendum? He said he didn't and it was a (2015) election promise he had to carry through. His deep disappointment outside No 10 after the referendum showed he may have had big regrets.

He lost his job as Prime Minister. Some said he did not have to resign and could have led the UK to leave the EU in an orderly way.

An MP representing his constituency in Scotland spoke in the House of Commons hours before the recent UK-EU Brexit deal vote. He spoke passionately about a newspaper column by he said the Irish journalist Fintan O'Toole and he urged MPs to read it and said that they could learn from it on the psychology, etc, around Brexit.

He said where Ireland goes, Scotland will follow. He emphasised the constituents he represents believe Scotland's best interests are in the EU.

I could not find the article mentioned as the journalist has written many articles on Brexit. There are so many words, thoughts, opinions and views written by journalists on Brexit, it is overwhelming.

Coming back down to earth, there is concern Ireland may have a bread shortage for a few weeks if a ‘No Deal’ happens abruptly in March. Because 80% of flour used for mass production of bread in Ireland is said to be imported from the UK. It is hard to believe and is like 'Ripley's Believe it or Not!'

Mary Sullivan,

Cork.