No progress

FURTHER to Thursday's front page and the headline "Deadlock" (Echo, Dec 13), Prime Minister Theresa May continues going around Europe attempting to get the EU to loosen its grip on the Northern Ireland border in the backstop part of the agreement.

The SNP is pushing Labour to have a vote of no confidence in the Conservative government. Labour is holding back as it appears the numbers are not there as the DUP will not vote with Labour.

The vote on May's deal we are told will take place before January 21. Win or lose, we are still told we will leave the EU on March 29, although like everything else EU related, that could be up in the air.

George Dunning, Ormesby

Disgraceful

THE Houses of Parliament are a disgrace. Nothing but bullies.

People voted to come out of the EU and the then Prime Minister David Cameron spat his dummy out because he couldn’t get his own way. The way MPs are now treating Theresa May is disgusting.

The older generation are losing TV licences, fuel payments, bus passes – I feel sorry for them. The retirement age is getting older when it is known that half of people won’t even reach it. This change is so that the government doesn't have to pay their pension.

But then again, the government is going to have to take money off someone to pay for all the immigrants coming into this country, but as long as the south of the country is OK it doesn’t matter about the north.

The reason we are suffering is because of the EU and yet the MPs don't want us to come out.

Rosalin Collins, Bishop Auckland

Self-preservation

WHEN Margaret Thatcher was challenged in 1990 as the leader of the Conservatives and our Prime Minister, she received 204 votes – yet she still had the dignity to resign.

Theresa May this week received only 200 votes and these included Tory MPs who had their right to vote restored as they were previously suspended for sleaze and sexual allegations.

Just how low will the nasty party go for self-preservation?

Yours in disgust.

J Moffatt, Chilton