Paying the price for Brexit and the mantra of growth

The Tories may well be paying the price for their Brexit lies, but we are all paying the price for continuing to rely on the idea of growth at the heart of our economy, politics and culture (The Guardian view, 19 May).

The Guardian Weekly publishes much by way of evidence and opinion on the multiple ecological breakdowns and crises and their systemic nature, yet when it comes to editorialising still highlights the UK’s status as a “growth laggard” with the implied solution presumably being growth.

The degrowth literature has matured to combine evidence with practical ideas and solutions to bring our households, local, national and global economies back into balance with the living world and create a thriving society for all.

Frustratingly, every time growth is privileged in a Weekly editorial, clarity is undermined, and the Weekly becomes part of the problem rather than part of the solution. Stewart Sweeney Adelaide, South Australia

• We were indeed misled by extravagant claims that this decision would raise our country to stratospheric economic and cultural levels. In fact it has divided more than united, and every subsequent damp squib has alienated us further.

The fact that the misguided bonfire of EU laws has received a severe dousing has ignited the ire of so many hardline Brexiters in the government, who are shouting betrayal at the top of their voices. But the irrevocable damage has been done. Even Nigel Farage has stated that Brexit has failed.

As a still committed Remainer, it doesn’t give me much pleasure to be a “told you so” because many of the public were influenced by both sides of the argument, sense and reason became cannibalised. Of course, global issues have had their effect but still this country lags behind and the still vainglorious rhetoric keeps coming.

That this country has become “the poor man of Europe” is so disturbing and when the general election does arrive, there will be a heavy price to pay and the public will no doubt extract it in full, as they have every democratic and justifiable right to do so.

Judith A Daniels Gt Yarmouth, England, UK