Thank you so much for taking the trouble to write to me - and everyone else in the country. It is comforting to know that we have a Prime Minister who is interested in our views. It would be even more comforting if you were prepared to consult us about those views and let us have a People’s Vote giving us the option of Remain.
It was pleasing to hear you sincerely promise that EU citizens living and working in the UK will have their rights protected. I might have found that promise more re-assuring if you hadn’t accused them of queue jumping and abolished freedom of movement across the EU. It is hard to see how an agricultural worker on a temporary permission to work in the UK can feel safe and secure whilst they earn their living here and pay taxes towards the NHS and worrying to see how many good EU staff have already left the NHS.
I was interested to hear that the UK will no longer be subject to the rulings of the European Court. Especially as I had just read in the political declaration that you signed that this is exactly what will happen if there are any disputes between the UK and the EU over interpretation of European Law. Similarly, it was interesting to have such a strong assurance that fishing and farming communities will now prosper. I could have sworn that you hadn’t published a single word that precisely explained what was going to happen about fishing rights. I did notice that you intend to sign new trade deals and am sure that UK farmers will not enjoy being exposed to unfair competition from chemical soaked mass produced US foodstuffs that will either drive them out of business or force them into adopting similarly damaging environmental practices.
It was so good of you to tell us how much extra money we will be able to spend on the NHS after we leave the EU. It might have been better to have heard how paying billions pounds to the EU as part of your settlement will increase the cash available to us. Or how leaving every one of the collaborative projects the EU runs unless we manage to negotiate an extra payment will help us to save money. Or how we can be confident that UK businesses such as Airbus UK will be able to maintain the jobs that depend on those programmes if the UK struggles to arrange membership when another European country spots an opportunity to prosper by excluding us.
Then of course there was your important assurance that you wanted a Brexit deal that worked for every part of our country – for England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and for our overseas territories like Gibraltar. I am sure the people of Scotland will look forward to their opportunity to express their opinion on the deal and I note with interest that you have already lost your own Northern Irish allies because of it. I am less sure that the people of Gibraltar will feel entirely comfortable with this assurance coming as it does so shortly after you agreed to a Spanish veto on their future trading status.
Finally, can I just say how much I admire your strategy of offering the British people an opportunity to put an end to all this endless boring discussion of Brexit if only they vote for your deal. Boring people into submission is a novel and interesting strategy. Good luck with that as your deal leaves us in transition until at least the end of 2020 whilst we squabble about a future relationship which you have proved unable to define with the remotest clarity despite discussing it for two and a half years.
Still look on the bright side. With a bit of luck all your troubles are nearly over. Even if the country’s just about to begin in earnest.
All the best
Andy
P.S. I do hope you enjoy your retirement.