Sir, – Whenever debating the reasons for and the fallout from Brexit, there is a rush to blame working-class English people for voting against their own interests. A jarring example of this appeared in newspaper (Kathy Sheridan, "Journalists must stop giving legs to fake news stories", Opinion & Analysis, September 15th), which stated: "Presenter Andrew Marr's job was to articulate the 'other side', putting the questions that the endlessly vox-popped market-stall holders of Grimsby would want asked if they ever felt the urge to watch a politics show at 10am on a Sunday."
The reasons for the Leave vote were varied and hugely complex.
But we seem to ignore that it was the billionaire stockbroker class who drove Brexit with their vast money and dishonesty over many, many years. People’s fears, even when unfounded, need to be listened to patiently and responded to with truth, conviction and empathy. We don’t win by speaking down to people.
And by the way, the Andrew Marr show begins at 9am, not 10am. – Yours, etc,
DERMOT RYAN,
Dublin 8.