SIR - I can only imagine that Mr Edward's letter (Our country's elite should feel ashamed, Craven Herald letters, February 7) was published to provoke a public outcry? I am not sure what he means by the ‘elite’. I presume he is referring to the Members of Parliament democratically elected by us. If that is the case then the real problem is that the Brexit negotiations have been handled appallingly by Teresa May and her numerous Brexit ministers. The current impasse is as a result of an appalling strategic gaff thinking that our hand is so much stronger than the EU negotiators when it’s pretty clear we’ve caved in all along these last two years. I strongly advise the PM not to take up poker. As far as loyalty to the country goes we were part of the largest economic bloc and now we are sailing off into who knows where. Well I suppose we are a maritime nation. The House of Commons has fought to get a meaningful vote to hold the Government to account. Hopefully something more realistic will come out of this awful mismanaged situation. As far as the Euro goes its part of an inevitable process and it makes economic sense to have one currency in a trading bloc. The only problem being that it will take longer than expected to ‘bed in’. Mr Edwards is probably unaware that the EU was formed partly as a political exercise to integrate the economies and to forge closer links culturally to reduce the opportunity of conflict and it’s worked so far hasn’t it? It’s a real shame that Brexit vote was so close and even more unfortunate that most of those that voted for Brexit were mainly over 50. The younger generation have lost out in the referendum to those that have a nostalgic view of our history and its future prospects. It’s such a shame that this is the case.

I would like to end on Oscar Wilde’s quote which the Craven Herald has dutifully fulfilled its function ‘ By giving us the opinions of the uneducated journalism keeps us in touch with the ignorance in our community’.

S Desborough

Settle