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

Labour’s bad move

Jeremy Corbyn has substantially changed the Labour Party policy regards leaving the EU.

The new policy is to stay in the Customs Union. This goes against what was promised at the General Election 2017 when Labour supported leaving the EU.

The customs union has been bad for trade because Britain runs a trade deficit of a billion pounds a week with the EU.

In fact Britain has the worst trade deficit in the developed world and this was one of the main reasons for voting to leave during the referendum.

On 23rd June 2016 Britain voted to take back control of its laws, trade and borders.

None of this will be possible under Jeremy Corbyn’s new Labour policy of staying within the EU customs union.

Steve Halden, Beaufort Green, Swindon

It’s not happening

As much as I dislike UKIP and practically all they stand for I have to admire Martin Costello and his continuing belief and optimism for the party (This is true democracy, letters 23 Feb). But surely he can’t be serious when he implies that the voters of Swindon should vote UKIP in May’s local elections.

UKIP are a party in constant turmoil. They are looking for a new leader (again). How many leaders have they had since the EU referendum in 2016? They are virtually bankrupt, their membership is dwindling, they’re losing councillors across the county in local by-elections and struggling to find candidates to stand in many parts of the UK for elections.

A couple of years ago the letters page of the SA on an almost daily basis contained letters from UKIP voters; such letters are now a rarity. I think I’m correct to say that voters in the UK shun political parties that are in the turmoil UKIP are in at the present time when it comes to elections. So Martin’s call to the voters of Swindon to give the establishment a bloody nose in May will probably fall on deaf ears.

Martin Webb, Swindon Road, Old Town

Is he a coward?

On the whole I agree with Tom Horwat’s letter, after all the second amendment of the American constitution gave Americans the right to bear arms. The arms it refers to were muzzle loading flintlocks, not automatic assault rifles.

I feel sorry for the relatives of those killed and injured in Florida. However, and I don’t suppose it is a popular opinion, I feel sorriest for the deputy who froze when confronted with the situation of needing to enter the school building armed with a pistol to take on a madman armed with an assault rifle.

Without being tested in a similar situation what gives us the right to accuse him of cowardice? One thing for sure is that every day for the rest of his life he will accuse himself of cowardice.

Steve Thompson, Norman Road, Swindon