The European elections could tell us everything we need to know about Brexit

The outcome of the forthcoming European parliamentary election will remove the ambiguity attributed to the result of recent local elections and help political leaders decide how to approach the Brexit deadlock. Specifically, a higher electoral turnout and a meaningful change in favour of parties and candidates supporting a second referendum would indicate the need to trust the public with shaping the future of their country after almost three years spent on getting nowhere.

Hamid Elyassi
London E14

Theresa May is deluded to compare herself to Liverpool

At PMQs today the seriously deluded Theresa May compared her handling of Brexit with Liverpool FC’s stunning 4-0 victory over Barca.

Not at all. Unlike Liverpool, “you’ll always walk alone,” Theresa May.

Resign. Now.

Sasha Simic
London N16

Why is somebody who is shortly to lose their job taking a decision that could catastrophically affect the UK for generations to come?

Sarah Pegg
East Sussex

“Hoist by their own petard.” That sums up Labour and the Tories whose intransigence and intolerance of the democratic will of the people has led them both to face yet another well deserved public humiliation when they are both no doubt trounced twice within weeks. The next beating being in the EU election now going ahead, much to the dread and defiance of the establishment.

Rex Garratt
Cheesed off from Cheshire

As a doctor, I’m not surprised by a shortage of GPs

In view of the considerable shortage of GPs, surely it is time for a review of the GP appraisal and revalidation scheme that in my opinion was introduced mainly as an overreaction to the Harold Shipman case.

I am a retired GP and while in practice I was shocked by the number of GPs who cited it as a major reason for choosing early retirement because of the amount of preparation involved and the nature of the information and assessments required.

One GP told me that his appraiser seemed to be more concerned about his knowledge of the fire extinguishers in the practice than his clinical skills. This system may be causing more harm to patients due to loss of GP services rather than any benefit from annually assessed, overworked GPs.

It is time for an evaluation of the system by the GMC, Royal College of GPs and Department of Health.

I am fairly sure Shipman would have had no problem being revalidated as only living patients are asked to complete the patient satisfaction survey. Many patients would benefit from older doctors delaying their retirement.

Dr Bridget Burt
Dorset

Climate change is largely down to greed

While I applaud the efforts of Greta Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion to publicise the vital need to act now to combat climate change, there is really only one way to make this happen: by acknowledging the fact that the human race is largely driven by greed. Hence the belief that endless growth is a key factor in economic success, despite the fact that our planet’s resources are finite.

So corporate greed and consumer greed must be tackled head-on by making sure that carbon capture and carbon reduction are rendered financially attractive. It has been said that 100 corporations are responsible for 70 per cent of carbon generation. Governments should tax them relentlessly, while at the same time offering huge tax relief on any investment in carbon reduction, carbon capture and renewable energy. Consumers should be encouraged to purchase carbon-neutral items by using VAT reduction as an incentive – and vice versa. It all seems blindingly obvious!

But it has to be global. Especially in China, Russia and the USA. And it has to start now.

Bill Stevenson
Suffolk