I WRITE to protest the cowardice of most of the Members of Parliament at Westminster. There is a clear majority of them who want to remain in the European Union, but so cowed are they by a small group of fanatical Brexiters that they say and do nothing – apart from a courageous few who have gone independent. The referendum of 2016 was so very close that Westminster can easily regard it as advisory – as it has done with others.

I belong to a family, three generous of whom were either killed or wounded in European wars. I never want the British Isles, ever again, to be represented anywhere except at the central table of the EU and at the United Nations. Only thus can we have influence to avoid or divert wars in a Greater Europe.

I am of an age when personal hardship would be a minor matter. But my children and grandchildren must and do feel differently. It is not for them to ignore the advice from the Governor of the Bank of England, nor from the many business and manufacturing companies who are tied so closely to European industry.

The solution is simple for these fearful MPs: let them vote for Yvette Cooper's postponement Bill for Article 50. But let it be a year’s postponement so as to give ample time for reflection, and for enough courage to do the decent thing.

James A Findlay,

76 Dundas Street, Edinburgh.

SHAME on Dominic Raab, the former Brexit Secretary, for irresponsibly playing to the xenophobic gallery by claiming that the EU has bullied the UK by insisting on the Irish backstop ("UK has been bullied by EU, claims ex-Brexit Secretary", The Herald, March 2). He knows perfectly well which buttons to press to have the Brexiters frothing at the mouth.

Given that the UK is causing all the problems by deciding to leave the EU in the first place, how else is the EU going to protect the interests of its continuing member state, the Republic of Ireland, and also avoid jeopardising the fragile Northern Ireland peace process?

Members of Tory governments always seem to have this extraordinary sense of entitlement to privileges. Even in the 21st century, bizarre echoes of imperialism still inform the attitudes of all too many of them. Or is it just childish petulance because the UK is not getting its own way for a change?

Dave Stewart,

6 Blairatholl Avenue, Glasgow.

ON June 23, 2016 we were asked in a referendum if we wanted to leave the EU. Because of the limited understanding of David Cameron of these issues, we were not asked if we wanted to leave the single market. The Greens and the Scottish LibDems pointed out the omission in the referendum question – but they were ignored by all the other parties.

It should be noted that 37.5 per cent of the registered voters in the UK voted to leave (not everyone is registered); 35.1 per cent of the registered voters voted to stay, and 27.4 per cent of registered voters did not vote after being told the referendum was advisory only.

The further question of leaving the single market was never put to us the voters. It was put to the Commons a year ago now. This has split the Tories into two pieces but the Parliamentary Labour Party has split into six distinct pieces now – 75 MPs in the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) voted to stay in the single market. Some 11 of these have now split into the Independent Group (TIG).

Seventeen Labour MPs voted to leave the single market. The rest abstained in the vote about leaving the single market at the request of Mr Corbyn in order to look united.

Jenny Chapman, who abstained and who is the PLP spokesperson on Brexit, described Mr Corbyn's policy of a second referendum as "toxic" last week in her constituency's local newspaper the Northern Echo.

Mr Corbyn is off on a frolic of his own changing his mind daily. Frank Field resigned the whip some time ago and is not in TIG either.

Am I to now understand these are the people Nicola Sturgeon wants to form an electoral pact with? On what basis please? The PLP cannot agree with each other. There is little chance of them agreeing with the First Minister of Scotland or Ian Blackford, is there?

Nigel Boddy,

14 Fife Road, Darlington.