My MP here in Monmouthshire is a pro-Brexit Tory in a Remain constituency. In view of the Richmond Park by-election result I have written to him asking him to resign – as with Mr Goldsmith – in order that his constituents can clarify the position they want their MP to hold on this issue.

This is an idea that could be adopted in a great many constituencies across the UK and I would ask your readers to do likewise.

Vaughan Thomas

Usk, Gwent, South Wales

Liberal Democrats must fight for a soft Brexit deal and a second referendum on whatever the final destination of those negotiations turns out to be.

In a global world there is no long-term future for an isolated UK. The UK needs the EU and more and more the EU needs the UK. This weekend Austria might well elect the first hard-right president in Europe since the end of the Second World War, and the Italian constitutional referendum may well see an anti-government protest which will pitch Italian banks into crisis.

Democracy is under threat because of the despair of those who, feeling that they have nothing to lose because the elites have ignored them, turn and cast their votes for the fundamentally undemocratic truth-deniers, be they PIS in Poland, Beppe Grillo in Italy or UKIP in UK.

Cllr Fran Oborski MBE

Kidderminster

Congratulations to the Liberal Democrats for their stunning win in the Richmond Park by-election. The day before polling some newspapers predicted the Lib Dems were going to lose and the Lib Dems were finished. The electoral pact the Lib Dems had with the Greens might have had something to do with their victory.

The vote shows two things about the court of public opinion. One, Brexit might be called off. Two, the alternative to Heathrow known as Boris Island is back on.

With Tim Farron as their new leader one has to ask if the dark disasters of the Nick Clegg years over tuition fees are now behind them. Zac Goldsmith was one hell of an opponent. He is one of the richest men in the country. He was the incumbent MP. He is certainly one of our more handsome charismatic politicians and has a voice like milk chocolate. Sarah Olney has been a member with the Lib Dems for about a year and a half it is reported. Was Tim Farron a pupil at Hogwarts by any chance?

Nigel F H Boddy

Darlington

Scots Nat ambitions failing at last

Two YouGov opinion polls in quick succession reveal much about where the Scottish government finds itself. Despite all the Scottish National Party’s manoeuvring to try to engineer a second independence referendum out of the Brexit result, the first poll shows support for independence at just 44 per cent, back below the level of support in the 2014 referendum. And on a separate question only 31 per cent are in favour of having another independence referendum.

The second poll was about levels of confidence in the Scottish government’s handling of public services and perhaps explained why people are less inclined to support the SNP’s separatist ambitions. This poll showed a fall in satisfaction with the SNP’s performance across each aspect of its responsibilities, including education, health, justice, transport and the economy.

It seems daily reminders of the shortcomings of the SNP in delivering for Scotland are now helping to reverse the nationalists’ attempts to build grievance off the back of Brexit.

Keith Howell

West Linton, Scottish Borders

Schools are not part of the border force

On the subject of putting children at the back of a queue for education (News, 2 December): this is simply untenable. Once more a government edict is sent down to schools to manage. Not funded of course, just added to the tasks expected to be performed. Since when were schools supposed to be an extension of the border force?

What schools are for is education. Give us a level playing field, and we will give you outstanding for all our children.

John Sinclair

Chair of Governors, Woldgate School

Pocklington, East Yorkshire

Advice to the PM: don’t do God

Theresa May’s reliance on her faith in God (Sasha Simic’s letter, 2 December) when carrying out her political role is disturbing. In no way do I disparage people having religious beliefs (or no belief), but we all know that religions can be seriously divisive. In this country we live in a diverse and multicultural society. In performing her numerous tasks Ms May should be guided by the current principles of morality and ethics, not by her religious beliefs, because apart from other considerations the said principles can be understood and/or challenged by her fellow human beings.

We should realise that Ms May as our leading politician puts her faith in some extraneous planetary authority (God) and in some minor religious sect within the planet (the Church of England) when making her decisions. A challenge here can be very difficult because such faith is often wholly illogical, is of unknown quality to the challenger, and can be brushed aside on the ground that it is improper and impolite to make such a challenge.

My preference would be for a Prime Minister who makes her decisions on a rational and factual basis.

David Ashton

Shipbourne, Kent

Key to early languages is in London

I always think of Robert Fisk as doing his research very carefully. However he appears not to know that the Rosetta Stone is safely in the British Museum, after being brought back to London, following the defeat of the French in Egypt.

Martin Kenrick