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No clear message from local elections

In response to the article published in the Adver following the local election results on Thursday, I’d like to offer my view that while these local elections may have had much to do with Brexit, there is certainly no single ‘clear message’ as is being proclaimed by commentators from across politics.

I have spoken to hundreds of residents across Swindon so far this year, and it is very clear to me that there is no single clear message at all, other than a general deep unhappiness with how politics is working at the national level. Some voters want Brexit now, others want it to never happen, others just want their streetlights to work and their bins collected (after all it was a local council election). It is entirely disingenuous to pretend that anyone’s agenda has been vindicated by the election result last week.

I have called on my party (the Labour Party) to be clearer on our own position on Brexit and to attach a confirmatory referendum to anything they may agree with the Conservatives. This is the fairest way for us all, whatever our views on leaving the EU, to take a look at what the Westminster politicians draw up and decide whether this is what we want for Britain.

Sarah Church, Labour and Co-operative Parliamentary Candidate for South Swindon, Old Shaw Lane, Swindon

Gloves off as we battle for democratic right

I WATCHED the local election results until 4am on Friday morning – one advantage of being retired – on the British (or should that be Bolshevik?) Broadcasting Company. It is unbelievable that you can be jailed for not paying their compulsory licence to watch this left-wing social engineering.

Machiavellian May and Comrade Corbyn thought by not mentioning Brexit for a few weeks (thank the Lord) us plebs would forget all about it as the local elections came around. They underestimated the British voting public. Many ex-leaders of this country have been sent to the political graveyard by using the same tactics.

The general opinion of the BBC panellists and the political polling expert came to the same conclusion. The general public would vote for anyone but the two main parties to warn them to get Brexit over or else, as a general election looks likely very soon. Sadly many dedicated local Labour and Conservative councillors lost their seats through Parliament’s incompetence. Perhaps it is time the MPs joined them.

To paraphrase an American president: “Get them around their throats and their hearts and minds will soon follow.” The British voting public have came to the same conclusion as Nigel Farage.

We have all been nice about this for too long. The gloves are now off as we battle to save our democratic right to make political choices. Scorned with a few exceptions, by the nest of publicity seeking self-interested charlatans posing as MPs and representatives of the people at Westminster.

Bill Williams, Merlin Way, Covingham

What was behind gains made by Lib Dems?

The results came through, the leading parties and the media in general immediately formed the conclusion that the results indicated that the electorate were frustrated by the lack of progress on Brexit and were sending a message to now move it forward without delay.

If so, how do we explain the gains made by the Lib Dems? Could it be that the electorate were simply sick and tired of Brexit, the antics of the Tory and Labour parties themselves and their incompetent leadership and were simply turning their focus on local issues and voting for those who could best meet local needs?

Has Brexit become irrelevant? Is it time to now pull the plug on Brexit and revoke Article 50?

Patrick Brennan, Highworth