The Rochdale fiasco casts fresh doubt on Keir Starmer’s judgment

Sir – The Rochdale by-election shambles (“Labour disowns candidate in anti-semitism row”, report, February 13) reveals the inadequacy of Sir Keir Starmer, and helps explain his numerous U-turns as Labour leader.

This was another case where he made the wrong initial decision (standing by Azhar Ali), only to reverse when the going got tough.

Lack of principle and weakness under pressure are not ideal character traits for a prime minister. Adrian Charles

Enfield, Middlesex

Sir – Sir Keir Starmer failed to act promptly against Azhar Ali. The Labour leader is weak, and his party’s approach to anti-semitism has been called into doubt. Dominic Shelmerdine

London SW3

Sir – The reason Azhar Ali felt able to suggest at a Labour Party meeting that Israel was complicit in the October 7 pogrom was that he knew he had a receptive audience for these antisemitic slurs.

The fact that no one present appears to have challenged him is deeply troubling. If Sir Keir Starmer is serious about confronting anti-semitism within Labour, he should immediately suspend all party officials who were present, and thoroughly investigate that branch.

If anti-semitic attitudes are found to be rife, only mass expulsions will convince the country that Sir Keir is fit to be prime minister. Jeremy Crick

Newcastle-under-lyme, Staffordshire

Sir – While the Labour Party has – rightly if belatedly – withdrawn support for Azhar Ali, I have a feeling that he may be elected nevertheless.

Such an outcome might be democratic, but it would also be extremely worrying. Malcolm Dutchman-smith

Nantwich, Cheshire

Sir – Sherelle Jacobs (Comment, February 13) argues that “Britain is almost bankrupt. PM Starmer will be the final nail in the nation’s coffin.”

The last Labour government inherited a sound economy and finished saying there was no money left. Labour is now trying to claim that it would handle the shaky economy, with which it would begin, better than the present incumbent. This might be more credible if it gave a “mea culpa” explanation of what went wrong last time. I am not holding my breath. Adam Massingham

Ashford, Kent

Sir – Britain does not deserve a Labour government but the Tories do not deserve another term in office. Meanwhile, it seems that our American cousins may face a choice between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. How did the world’s greatest democracies get themselves into this position? David Miller

Chigwell, Essex