Alliance needed to solve Brexit impasse

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/oct/09/alliance-needed-to-solve-brexit-impasse

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The EU’s point-by-point rejection of the government’s proposals for the Northern Ireland border is no surprise (Day the deal was doomed, 9 October). No one can accept a solution that gave Northern Ireland’s politicians a veto on border arrangements. More surprising is the failure of the rebel alliance of MPs to agree a way forward.

Surely elements of the 1940 solution make sense with Jeremy Corbyn in the Clement Attlee role as deputy prime minister and a figure like Ken Clarke as prime minister for a fixed term to sort out Brexit. Attlee was leader of the opposition, albeit in the face of a massive Tory majority, but this position worked for him in 1945.Tom CannonManchester

• In Wednesday’s Morning Briefing you suggest that Boris Johnson will “trigger” a general election. Perhaps this should be “attempt to trigger” or even “beg the opposition for an election” as we do have the Fixed-term Parliaments Act.

I suggest the other parties leave Johnson to stew by having an opposition of national unity, abstaining in the vote on the Queen’s speech (which no doubt will have some provocative proposals) and thus effectively giving the opposition control over a decidedly minority government’s agenda.

The opposition parties will then have the power to trigger an election at a time of their choosing – for example, during the chaos of a Tory hard Brexit.Alan PackCanterbury, Kent

• The imperative provision of the Benn Act is that the prime minister must comply by sending a letter requesting an extension “no later than 19 October 2019”.

The imperative applies only to the prime minister. Were Mr Johnson to resign as PM at midday on 19 October and inform the Queen that he still commanded the confidence of the Commons but was unwilling to remain as PM as the deadline stipulated by the Benn Act occurred, but that he would be willing to be recommissioned the following day, the Benn Act would not apply to him when he was recommissioned as the deadline would have passed.

Nor would he have contravened the act before his resignation, as the deadline had not yet then arrived.

Of course the political cost is another matter. But even Lord Sumption would not contend that the act precludes, or could preclude, a PM unwilling to comply with it from resigning.Charles Sweeney QCBrisbane, Australia

• So Arlene Foster thinks that “the real objective of Dublin and the European Union” is to trap Northern Ireland in a customs union (Report, 8 October). Isn’t that what the people of Northern Ireland voted for?Roy Boffy Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands

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