There was no Brexit majority

In the referendum, 52 per cent “of those who voted” wished to leave the EU, 48% voted to remain, however 27% “of the population” did not vote. Simple sums using these figures show that 38 per cent of the population voted to leave, 35 per cent voted to remain and 27 per cent did not vote – these add up to 100 per cent.

Does Jack Lewis of Bedale (D&S, Mar 10) really think this shows that a clear majority voted to leave the EU?

With only a three per cent difference and 27 per cent undecided, it shows that politicians have failed to make their case.

In a court of law, if the jury voted to find the accused 38 per cent guilty, 35 per cent not guilty and 27 per cent did not know, the judge would demand a retrial. No professionally-run company would radically change its business plan on such a vote.

The rules of politics are a farce.

There are many mistakes made by the EU parliament, but it is just as incompetent as our British MPs who were incompetent in cutting the number of prison officers with disastrous results in our prisons, are condemned for spending money on new grammar schools and free schools rather than on the existing comprehensives, and have shown themselves unable to manage our NHS, or extend the airports round London etc.

Brian Tyldesley, Middleham

THE letters from JH Robinson and Jack Lewis (D&S, Mar 10) neatly sum up the differences of opinion over the Brexit vote.

I voted for Brexit primarily because I was concerned that if we stayed in the EU we would be forced into ever closer union and particularly that we would be required to join the euro. Those views have not changed although, unlike others, I have never subscribed to the view that the result of the referendum was an overwhelming vote in favour of leaving at all costs.

When important constitutional decisions are taken (and few can be as important as this one) it should be essential that if it is to be a binding vote there should be a suitable threshold relating to the number wishing to change the status quo as a percentage of those entitled to vote. A reasonable minimum figure is 40 per cent: it was 37.4 per cent in the referendum.

The point is that if the vote had been to remain, nothing further needed to be done. There were no complex negotiations to be carried out. The reverse is true where the vote has been to leave.

I therefore support those who argue that Parliament should be fully consulted as to the detailed terms of our leaving the EU.

Ed Hempsey, Potto, Northallerton

TREVOR NICHOLSON (D&S, Mar 10) has a tenuous grasp of mathematics when he suggests that the 27 per cent who did not vote can be added to the 48 per cent or 52 per cent who did vote to make 127 per cent.

But why would we expect leavers to be accurate with figures?

The turnout was 72.21 per cent. In other words, 27.79 per cent of people who could have voted, didn’t bother to vote for one reason or another.

The 48/52 figures only relate to the 72 per cent who actually voted.

In reality, only around 38 per cent of those who could have voted chose to vote leave. Hardly a ringing enforcement in a referendum which we were told was purely advisory.

The reality is that the “will of the people” which leavers so often talk about is a myth.

In any true democracy, a super majority is needed for a major constitutional change to take place. In the US, it requires a two-thirds majority to make such a change in both houses of Congress.

More significantly, the referendum excluded those with the greatest interest in our status in the EU.

British citizens living in Europe for more than five years, all 16 to 18 year olds and EU citizens who have residency status in the UK (many of whom have been paying their taxes here for many years) were all excluded and not given a vote.

This was not democracy at work.

It was gerrymandering of the very worst kind and excluded millions from voting.

Mr Nicholson cites Norway and Switzerland as doing very well as support for the Brexit argument, yet both of these countries are members of the single market and in the case of Norway the per capita contribution to the EU budget is greater than that of the UK.

The hard Brexit the Conservative government is pushing would take us out of the single market and the truth is, leavers didn’t actually know what kind of Brexit they were voting for. None of us did.

Parliament must be allowed the opportunity to debate the final deal that is reached and if necessary reject the deal. A wafer thin majority in a rigged election is not democracy.

Dr Andrew Newens, Darlington

YOUR correspondent has sadly discredited himself by attempting to add percentages of two different samples and then complains that they do not add up to 100 per cent (D&S, Mar 10).

Percentages of those in favour and those against are calculated by reference to the total votes of those electors who have expressed an opinion by voting. The views of those who chose not to vote must forever remain a mystery and are thus disregarded.

Any Remainer who complains that the views of the minority should negate the decision of the majority should reflect on the fact that the present government was elected with a large majority of MPs after having received only 37 per cent of the votes of those who exercised their right to vote in the most recent Parliamentary election.

The electoral system is broken but the political parties which benefit aren’t going to change it until turkeys vote for Christmas.

The referendum was the first time UK voters have been able to express their view unfettered by a grossly defective electoral system.

Roger Kendall, Ferrensby, Knaresborough