What a fantastic idea in Sean O’Grady’s recent article, Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage getting together to form a new party. At last the British public would have a party that not only crosses traditional party lines but truly cares about Brexit and would strive to ensure they get it right, instead of the appalling designed-to-fail Brussels appeasing fudge that May is trying to foist on the voters. Such a party would get votes from both right- and left-wing Brexit voters, and provided they can prevent Neil Hamilton from joining them they could not fail to win the next general election.

Ian McNicholas

Ebbw Vale

Boris wants power

Regarding your article “It’s hard to stomach, but Boris Johnson is going to be our next prime minister – here’s how he’ll do it”.

Fundamentally Boris wants power. He believes he’s entitled to it and, with his privileged upbringing, he believes he deserves it. The paradox is he’s got absolutely no ability to lead or deliver benefits to Britain.

As foreign secretary Boris may have caused an innocent British national to be stuck for an extra few years in an Iranian jail. He either misunderstood or did not bother to read his notes. When he was mayor of London Boris even wasted £46m on a garden bridge to nowhere.

A truly great statesman might perhaps have remarked: “Never before in the field of British politics has so much ambition been backed by so little talent and so much bluster.”

John Young

Edinburgh

Boris should embrace diversity

As a young Muslim woman I was deeply insulted by British politician Boris Johnson’s upsetting comments on the niqab in an article earlier this week. Though these comments were not all that surprising, as Johnson is already notorious for making divisive statements, they were still disappointing to hear.

Comparing women in religious garments to “letter boxes” and “bank robbers” is utterly disrespectful. Remarks like this will only further fuel the raging Islamophobia across the western world. Johnson has yet to apologise for these statements, even after British prime minister Theresa May urged him to do so.

As a prominent figure, Boris Johnson has a duty to respect and embrace the diverse population which he serves, rather than to alienate minority groups. I hope and pray that he will one day live up to these responsibilities.

Fatima Minhas

Florida, USA

Fingers crossed

Well, let’s hope so. Maybe some good can come out of this disgraceful episode after all.

Debbie Stamper

Epsom

Why do we treat immigrants worse than criminals?

Having just read May Bulman’s article (Home Office tells destitute Windrush woman to seek charity help to feed her child), I find myself equally drawn towards disgust at the actions of the Home Office described in this harrowing article, and amazement at the offhanded callousness of a government which could so very easily resolve such issues.

That it seems to take the Home Office such incredibly long periods of time to conclude a very simple investigation is really quite pathetic and shameful for those case workers involved, but to place the individual at the centre of the investigation in a position which in some ways is worse than someone under criminal investigation for a capital crime is simply unforgivable.

If Sharon Vitalis had been charged with murder and was awaiting trial, she would be in a detention centre, with all her basic needs provided, and her dependants would be under the care of the state. But this is not a criminal matter (except arguably for the way in which the Home Office conducts its affairs). These facts make me truly disgusted at being a British citizen.

Why has the government not sought to ensure the Home Office acts in a fairer, dare I say it, Christian, manner when the remedy is so simple?

People suspected of having no right to stay in the UK are not criminals, no one has suggested they want to do harm to the UK or its citizens, therefore there is no reason to treat them in the current fashion, denying them the right to do all the normal things in life to support themselves and their dependants. This brutality could be so easily eliminated if the government were to issue revised instructions to the Home Office that all suspected overstayers must be allowed to retain all the normal rights that qualified citizens enjoy, with simple provisos.

These would be that their employer must inform the Home Office if the individual fails to come to work without explanation for more than two days, and that landlords must also act on behalf of the state to advise when such an individual vacates a property.

No parliamentary debate or vote is required to implement such a simple instruction.

All the Sharon Vitalises currently suffering the Home Office’s thoroughly heartless behaviour are a shame on our society, and an even greater shame on the government.

David Curran

Feltham

Something beginning with ‘B’

Blaming online shopping (again) for the failure of high street stores – most recently House of Fraser – is like blaming frogs for rain. We sense a vague connection but are just too lazy or mesmerised by the mind-numbing, burgeoning economic disaster all around to tease it out.

Earlier this year (in a published letter) I pointed out that my partner had stated with confidence that HoF was in trouble because, even in a flagship store like the one on Princes Street here in Edinburgh, the signage was battered and had been in need of repair for too long.

I admit – “It’s the internet guv” is a handy ditty to sing and once the media and the economists and the 40-second-slot-on-the-midday-news commentators have all sung the chorus, it is catchy.

But the extreme hollowing out of high streets – with thousands of redundancies and another load of future pensioners thrown onto the taxpayer – is not happening at this rate in France or Germany or other comparable EU countries.

Now, I wonder, just what could be going on in the UK that is not going on over there…

Amanda Baker

Address supplied

It’s time for a Final Say

As a Dutch national living in the UK, I was disappointed that I was unable to vote in the Brexit referendum. However, I did not let my voice go unheard. I challenged friends and colleagues on their views about Brexit and wrote to my local MP. When the results came in, and a slim majority had voted to leave the EU, I couldn’t help but feel that a large part of EU nationals living in the UK were excluded from deciding on their fate.

Since the referendum and the dishonest campaign preceding it, the public has learned that facts were misrepresented and that influential Brexiteers have undisclosed financial interests in leaving the EU. And, that while a majority had voted for Brexit, the reasoning and way forward widely differed among leave voters.

A Final Say could well result in the same outcome, but it would give confidence to our government that the majority of British people agree with the exit strategy. And, it would give EU nationals the peace of mind that democracy has spoken.

If, however, the result is that a majority of people do not back leaving the EU or exiting without a deal, then the mandate to continue is lost, and we can reframe the relationship with Brussels. This could address many of the problems that have led to the frustration of being part of the EU, without storming out in anger.

If, as an EU national living in the UK, you would like to see a second referendum to enable a Final Say, then remember that while you cannot vote, you can make your voice heard. Urge UK citizens to sign the petition for a Final Say and write to your local MP to publicly support a second referendum. Being part of an active democracy means taking action, and you have the opportunity to do so now before it is too late.