A tieless Parliament will stoop to anything

SIR – What the Liberal Democrats, who support the removal of ties from Parliament (Letters, July 4), are really after is permission to wear sandals or – perish the thought – trainers. Roger Howard

Bishops Waltham, Hampshire

SIR – Why all the present furore over whether male MPS should wear ties?

Those who wish to should do so. Those who choose to display hairy chests and scrawny necks are no worse than their female counterparts with straggly hair and skirts that are too short, all regrettably revealed by the television cameras in and outside Parliament. Myra Spalton

Macclesfield, Cheshire

SIR – Line court judges and referees have to wear ties at Wimbledon, so surely our MPS, when sitting in Parliament, should have to do the same. Louise Jowett

Poole, Dorset SIR – Peter Mckenzie (Letters, July 3) rightly commends to our parliamentarians the comfort of the Guyanese shirt-jac.

Tailored, well-supplied with pockets, open at the neck and not requiring to be tucked in at the waist, it is ideal for heated debates.

Soon after Guyana became the world’s first co-operative republic in 1970, its parliament decided that members should be allowed to forgo the necktie and wear a shirt-jac.

However, at that time, teachers were required to maintain superior sartorial standards by continuing to wear ties. Richard Gallagher

Porthcawl, Glamorgan

SIR – As a laryngectomee since 2003, there are four things I miss most: swimming, singing, whistling and wearing a tie.

I deplore the non-wearing of a tie with a suit: a state of sloppy undress. Michael Welch

York