Amongst all the political fallout and turmoil since the referendum I would like to pay tribute to York’s own Sir ‘Vince’ Cable, leader of the Liberal Democrats, who is standing down in the very near future.

Vince was born in 1943 in York and went to Poppleton Road School followed by Nunthorpe, then Cambridge and Glasgow universities - excelling in economics.

He’s had real life experience working as an economic adviser for the Kenyan and British governments and Chief Economist to the Shell Oil Company.

His political life has been ‘colourful’ - starting as a Labour Party member then a Glasgow Labour councillor for three years before joining the Socialist Democratic Party (SDP) after falling out over Labour’s left wing influence, then the Lib Dems. He has been MP for Twickenham twice, serving twenty years.

As a government minister he was part of the coalition with the Conservatives in 2010 at a critical time after the 2008 financial crash - appointed as Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills for five years.

I would hope he is not offended when I say I don’t think he would set the world on fire (though his ‘Strictly’ dancing was impressive!) but he is a solid, sensible and very decent man of the kind that politics is crying out for today.

I hope the new City of York Council considers conferring on him the Freedom Of The City - it’s his 76th birthday on May 9 and it would be a fitting present.

Keith Massey,

Bishopthorpe, York

Our politicians never cease to amaze me

The hubris and we-know-best of politicians never ceases to amaze.

Within hours of polling stations closing and some results coming in, these omniscient know-alls told the world why the public voted the way they did.

All this before there had been any chance to ask the electorate their reasons for voting the way they did.

In just the same way they told us why we voted for Brexit in the referendum.

Have they ever considered that the public have lost all faith and trust in our elected representatives?

Geoff Robb,

Hunters Close,

Dunnington, York