The Reader: On your bike, Corbyn, you’re a failed leader

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Ruse: Was Theresa May's offer of Brexit talks entirely sincere?
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21 January 2019
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Is it not the appropriate time [“Show some mettle on Brexit, top Labour MP tells Corbyn” January 18] for the Labour Party to choose another leader?

Jeremy Corbyn is, to my eyes, clearly terrified of having to negotiate with those who have government and ministerial experience, hence this stand-off. I greatly sympathise with Mr Corbyn, who until his elevation to the leadership of the Labour Party had only to concern himself with nothing greater than the location of his bicycle clips and puncture repair kit.

If he cannot stand the political heat then it is time to get out of the kitchen.
Barry Wellington

EDITOR'S REPLY

Dear Barry

The short answer is yes, Labour should choose a more credible leader. Even the most starry-eyed Corbynistas must wonder how their man is managing to trail the Tories in most opinion polls and lose members when no government has ever been as weak as this one.

As it happens, however, I understand why Mr Corbyn doesn’t want to enter talks with Theresa May. It’s all been a short-lived Downing Street stunt. The Prime Minister all but confirmed that on the call to the Cabinet last night that was leaked.

She will never make the move needed to win over substantial cross-party support for a Brexit deal, because it would further rupture the Conservatives.

I predict that when the crunch comes she’ll put her party first, and that means she would favour a no-deal Brexit before no Brexit. Of course, Parliament may well overrule her — as we’ll see this week.

George Osborne, Editor

Palmer beats all other drummers

I WAS amazed to read a letter from a reader [“Brexit will never be rock ’n’ roll (if proof were ever needed)” January 17] calling a drummer in The Kinks the world’s greatest rock ’n’ roll drummer.

I doubt if any drummer from the UK pop scene would come anywhere near the fantastic quality of Earl Palmer, a trained musician from New Orleans. Palmer performed on many Little Richard and Fats Domino recordings, and later, several US top pop hits during the Sixties benefited from his presence too. He was a true head above the rest.
Paul Thorne

Brexiteers voted for a giant unicorn

In surveying the Brexit options, Oliver Letwin identifies several unicorns favoured by MPs [“Our plan to save Brexit” January 17]. But he fails to acknowledge that what people were offered by the Leave campaign in the referendum, and voted for, was itself a unicorn — namely, keeping all the advantages of EU membership without any of the disadvantages.

That’s why it has been impossible for MPs to agree on a way forward. If the will of the people favoured something which has proved undeliverable, it is surely time to consult them again.
Dorian Gerhold

Pepys was right about MPs... and so to bed

THE noted diarist Samuel Pepys wrote in 1666: “The House of Commons is a beast not to be understood — it being impossible to know beforehand the success almost of any plain thing — there being so many to think and speak to any business, and they of so uncertain minds and interests and passions.”

It seems that nothing much has changed in the intervening — three-and-a-half centuries.
Oliver Lalor

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