Tories tax and spend

SIR – The decision to grant the NHS a £20billion cash boost (report, July 1) has led to predictable bids for an boost in spending on defence, education, housing and the rest. The cheers that greet each public spending increase are matched by the silent groans of those who will have to pay for them.

The debate among Tories now seems to be focused on which taxes to increase – and by how much. I hope that among the aspiring future Tory leaders is someone who will have the courage to reverse this drift and rediscover what it means to be a tax-cutting Conservative.

Sidmouth, Devon

SIR – To pour extra billions into an unreformed NHS is nothing more than political virtue-signalling at the expense of taxpayers.

A few months ago I was hospitalised for a week, following days of lifethreatening respiratory attacks. My stay there was eye-opening and disturbing. No one seemed to be in charge. There was nobody about who was senior enough to prescribe a painkiller such as codeine or to find out whether my existing medication routine would be compatible with hospital-administered drugs. My completed meal cards were repeatedly “lost” and I was given no proper nutrition.

These failures were not due to a lack of funding. They were mainly due to an inadequate grasp of the English language, a lack of communication between staff and departments and, in some cases, a lack of intelligence. Such failings could easily cost a life.

Twickenham, Middlesex