While Labour should be concerned about the gaping 20% gap (YouGov/Datapraxis poll, 17 May) between itself and the Brexit party, as well as facing a revived Lib Dems, it shouldn’t automatically conclude that the Tories are now a spent force, irrespective of this Thursday’s results. If Labour’s strategy is to ride out the European elections bruised but still capable of fighting and defeating a broken Tory party in a general election, it may need to think again.
A resounding victory for the Brexit party will embolden the leave wing of the Conservatives to adopt a Brexit leader who will undoubtedly want to reconcile, even reunite, the leave membership now dominating both parties. Despite the large egos of Nigel Farage or likely leader Boris Johnson, the urge for a formal or informal pact to deliver Brexit will be too compelling to resist. Such a pact may enable the Tory party to survive and in a triumphalist post-Brexit climate allow the wider economic and social policy issues, which the Brexit party has been silent on, to come through. This combination could be the real danger to Labour’s prospects for government.
Paul Dolan
Northwich, Cheshire
• There are a number of issues with Magi Young’s letter (21 May). However, it is not all bad. The European parliament is a legislative chamber. Magi is right to dismiss parties other than Labour, the Tories, the Greens and the Lib Dems. She then goes on to dismiss the Lib Dems and Conservatives. I would not be so hasty to dismiss the former, but would the latter. This leaves three parties: the Greens, Lib Dems and Labour. As an ardent Europhile, I am instinctively with one of the two former. As a pragmatist, there is a case for the latter. Fortunately, we have manifestos on which to judge the parties; additionally we have their respective viability as Euro-groups.
Dealing with Labour first, ALDE have a real opportunity to elect the president of the European parliament. If you look at the commissioners and their effectiveness, Vesteger finishes head and shoulders above the rest. The Labour manifesto seems to focus on localism, which is all well and good but I have already voted in the local elections. So, taking the same logic, I am drawn to a choice of Labour and the Lib Dems.
I am based in the east of England. Candidate Alex Mayer (Lab) is certainly inoffensive, but having been heavily involved in the referendum in 2016, she was almost invisible. Contrast this with Barbara Gibson and Lucy Nethsinga, whose dedication to the European cause is clear, not just when the election is happening. Therefore, it is the Lib Dems who I am supporting.
Callum Robertson
Colchester, Essex
• It is astonishing to read, at this late hour, that Magi Young and doubtless others believe that she has the luxury of voting “for MEPs who won’t disrupt the EU parliament”, “for candidates who will be good pro-EU MEPS”, and with the prospect of “power and influence over EU policies, direction and narrative”. None of this will be possible if we leave the EU. Thank heaven there are some on the left who put first things first, and will vote for candidates whose parties are unequivocally pro-remain, if necessary first putting clothes pegs on their noses. There will be time to vote with our hearts again in future local and general elections: if the Brexit party were to gain a victory for their “new politics”, we might not have too many of those.
Dr Anne Summers
Hon research fellow, Birkbeck, University of London
• Thank you Linda Theobald (Letters, 20 May) for reminding us of Labour’s overall objective, a civilised, community-minded nation committed to the welfare of all its inhabitants, in contrast to Jan Woodhouse’s letter in which I could discern no objectives whatsoever. It was the Lib Dems who supported, through the coalition, the deadly austerity that has impoverished public life and institutions and so many individuals, and undoubtedly contributed to the Brexit vote. It was not Labour that gave us the referendum and its result. I am no Corbynista, but I believe that whatever faint hope still exists of remaining in the EU lies with Labour, along with the best chance of a fairer more prosperous Britain, and so will vote for it as I have done for the past 56 years.
Judith Fage
London
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