LETTER: ‘Our leaders are so grievously letting us down’

All of us observing the present political disarray wonder what on earth we are coming to. Panto season indeed.

How will our individual future lives, and those of our children and grandchildren unfold after this chaos?

Whether ‘leavers’ or ‘remainers’ we are victims of a colossal failure of leadership from all parties and sides and on many levels, including our media, over many years.

The reprehensible lack of honesty with us citizens and voters over immigration policy consequences and the reintroduction of border controls on our trade and free movement – even holidays – is to name but two interrelated issues.

It is astonishing that our formerly staid, relatively content and settled country engaged with earning a living while sorting out a multitude of real life issues, now ignored, is tearing itself apart with division and acrimony. What is to be?

Futurology is an inexact art, not a science. How we project our wishes and ideas into the future is speculative at best.

Nevertheless, over the EU, violently held opinions are expressed on all sides as ‘facts’ about the future.

Too often much media commentary and your own letters page shows this.

Surely the need for stepping back so cool heads can reconsider follows from our leaders so grievously letting us down.

I see no alternative to a new and much better informed debate and people’s vote after delaying article 50 for six months as there is no external urgency, so we really get to grips with what is possible.

What do we really want going forward? Not possible fantasy unicorns but real extrapolations from now into tangible realistic consequences.

It is necessary for us as citizens and voters to pay attention to sort this out, who else will?

Rod Read, Sutton Gault

Join the debate, email your letters to john.elworthy@archant.co.uk