Letters: December 20, 2016

Anonymity is granted only at the discretion of the editor, who also reserves the right to edit letters.

Referendum facts

TREATY-MAKING powers reside with the government in other common law jurisdictions like Canada, Australia and New Zealand: Withdrawal from treaties is entirely a matter for the executive.

Similarly in the USA, the power to withdraw from treaties is entirely a matter for the executive.

In 1972, the Government used its prerogative to sign the Treaty of Accession whereby we joined the EEC. Nobody complained then that the Government exceeded its powers.

As Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said on June 9 2015 in opening the second reading debate (Hansard) on the Referendum Bill, “This is a simple, but vital, piece of legislation. It has one clear purpose: To deliver on our promise to give the British people the final say on our EU membership in an in/out referendum by the end of 2017 … whether we favour Britain being in or out, we surely should all be able to agree on the simple principle that the decision about our membership should be taken by the British people, not by Whitehall bureaucrats, certainly not by Brussels Eurocrats; not even by Government Ministers or parliamentarians in this Chamber. The decision must be for the common sense of the British people.”

The Act itself did not say that the referendum was advisory. As the Supreme Court’s President Lord Neuberger stated on December 7: “‘Advisory’ is not in the statute.”

He continued: “This Act may be enough for the Government to say: ‘Parliament has ceded the issue, as far as Parliament is concerned, to the people; we can now go ahead.’”

Parliament decided to let the people decide. It did not promise to hold an advisory poll, with Parliament left to take the final decision.

Nothing in the Act suggested that the Government should start to implement a decision to leave only if Parliament gave it permission to do so.

The Government leaflet distributed to all households stated: “The referendum on Thursday 23rd June is your chance to decide if we should remain in or leave the European Union. This is your decision. The Government will implement what you decide.”

The Britain Stronger in Europe campaign agreed. Its leaflet said: “On 23rd June, you will get to vote in the EU referendum, and decide whether Britain remains in or leaves Europe.”

WILLIAM PODMORE

Clavering Road, Wanstead, London

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Cameras won’t work

I WAS amused to read in the Adver that councillors from both parties want to have speed cameras fitted along the notorious worst road in Swindon - Thamesdown Drive.

This is another crazy scheme to waste tax payer’s money. Cameras will achieve very little. All you will get is drivers slowing down where they know there is a camera.

Cameras will not catch the tax dodger, the mobile phone user, people under the influence of drugs or drink, the tailgaters, and the lane swapping idiots, of which there are many.

Bring back the police and let them do the job they are employed to do. Catch them on the spot with a hefty fine so as to let the drivers who drive sensibly know the road will be free of idiots who use it as a race track.

So, please councillors, before you waste more money on fruitless schemes get out and see for yourselves what happens on this stretch of road before you decide to extend Thamesdown Drive further across Swindon.

And, in case you did not know, this will not cost any money as the police already exist.

CLIVE CARTER

Branksome Road, Moredon, Swindon

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Sharing alternative view

WHEN Bill Williams wrote (Adver 14/12) that he would not reply to my response to his December 3 letter “in spades” he wasn’t kidding.

He chose not to reply to it at all, preferring a characteristic cliché mash up: “humourless, sneering liberal we-know-best elite with a sanctimonious superiority complex.”

Bill never lets a fact intrude in his thinking, this would smack of being a liberal know-all.

Better to be a down to earth man of the soil who can write about “the nonsensical mantra of climate change” without blushing.

Mr Williams thanks God for Britain’s yellow Tory press, which is owned and controlled lock stock and barrel by a handful of self-serving billionaires. He would, since it provides him with the source material for his prejudices.

He concludes by posing a banal question: If I have such an opinion of Britain’s dire news media, he muses, why do I read it and write to it?

Surely, Bill seems to be suggesting, writing a letter to a paper is signalling assent to all its works.

Not really Bill. I read it because it’s there and I write to it because I think it important to use any avenue to pose an alternative view of the world.

PETER SMITH

Woodside Avenue, Swindon

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I won’t be retaliating

Let us face up to the facts, regarding human nature We are all different . Many of us are set in our political opinions, our religions and our individual life styles .ALL the letter writing in the Adver is not going convince anyone to change their points of view. Perhaps it makes the individuals feel better but I have no doubt the 50,000 people who read the Adver find it less than entertaining or thought provoking.

There has been some strong critical boomeranging regarding certain individuals on the letters pages recently.

I admit to being guilty on more than occasion but I suspect the readers are getting a bit bored with it and I have made a New Year’s resolution never to reply again to a letter that has a go at me, regarding a letter pages contribution - mind you, there are a few days left yet!

Finally, to hopefully cheer up Kerry Collins, (Adver Dec 15) - and perhaps some of the many readers of the letters pages .The next time I am personally insulted on these pages. I swear, I will never borrow the Advert again from the next door neighbour . I met my wife fifty five years ago in the famous Glasgow Barrowland ballroom . She was so attractive, I had a job to keep my eye on the taxi meter when I took her home. at my wedding in a Glasgow hotel, I left a pint half full, and a double whisky on the bar, to go to the toilet. I left a note to be on the safe side. It said: ‘These drinks belong to the East End of Glasgow middleweight boxing champion.’

When I got back both glasses were empty and there was another note saying: ‘These drinks are now inside the West of Scotland middle distance running champion.’

BILL WILLIAMS

Merlin Way, Covingham, Swindon