Theresa May is the person to lead Britain into a new era of self-reliance

SIR – In terms of a commanding personality and aptitude for hard work, Theresa May has already proved herself to have the potential to exceed Margaret Thatcher as Britain’s greatest post-war prime minister.

However, she must first adopt a philosophy of self-reliance. Plans to let the state meddle in corporate boardrooms and the markets are doomed to fail. Similarly, any attempt at limiting immigration is impractical in a free-market world economy.

We already know Mrs May practises what she preaches. Now she needs to get the nation to commit itself, with her, to no-nonsense hard work. Selfhelp, enabled by a benevolent state, will carry Mrs May to electoral heights last seen under Mrs Thatcher almost 30 years ago. Anthony Rodriguez Staines upon Thames, Middlesex

SIR – Mrs May is not being anticapitalist by saying that the Government has a role to play in determining how businesses conduct themselves. In fact she is being procapitalist by arguing that businesses need to behave responsibly towards society and the environment, as well as making an ethical profit. While most companies, as she points out, behave in this way, some don’t.

A simple change in the Companies Act is necessary, so that it might read: “A director of a company must act in a way he considers, in good faith, would be most likely to promote a) the success of the company for the benefit of its members as a whole, and b) respect for society and the environment in all its decisions.” Jim Bignal Wargrave, Berkshire

SIR – Following her conference speeches I am still undecided about our Prime Minister. Is she a leader or simply a manager? Alan Law Streatley, Berkshire

SIR – Critics may say that there was nothing new in Theresa May’s conference speech and that she had stolen ideas from Labour, but perhaps the difference was that she actually sounded as though she meant what she was saying. Rod Barrett Bromley, Kent

SIR – While it was a good speech from Mrs May, I note that she thanked David Cameron “for giving us the first Tory majority government in 25 years”.

She might well have thanked Labour’s David Miliband and the SNP’s Nicola Sturgeon, without the fear of whom the Ukip vote at the last election might have been far higher at the expense of the Conservatives.

Given the importance she placed upon the Brexit vote in bringing about a “quiet revolution” in Britain, she might also have offered thanks to Ukip’s Nigel Farage, without whom Mr Cameron would never have given us a referendum in the first place. Neil Russell Portsmouth, Hampshire