LETTERS

A right to know

the ludicrous fuss over who leaked the huawei discussions by the national security Council tells us a lot of what is wrong with politicians and top civil servants.

surely of most importance was the momentous decision to let Chinese firm huawei help build the UK’s 5G network, not the leak. the public had a right to know their security could be threatened.

Why are we allowing China, a potentially hostile power, involvement in our vital communications systems despite the U.s., australia and new Zealand warning against it?

We could find ourselves locked out of privileged information shared between these countries.

What does our Prime Minister know that they don’t, and is this the way to treat our closest allies?

obviously there are decisions made by the national security Council that must be kept secret, but this is not one of them. MIKE HAIRSINE, Sutton Coldfield, W. Mids.

Independent at any cost

IS NICOLA sturgeon determined to bring independence to scotland at any cost?

her obsession with separatism makes me wonder if she has only her personal ambition in sight.

though it is a huge part of scottish history, handing down hate towards the english doesn’t help build bridges for a peaceful Union.

Ms sturgeon ignores the national result of the EU referendum and the scottish independence referendum in 2014. only her favoured view is acceptable to her.

I love scotland: its beauty is beyond words and the scottish people I am fortunate to know are the friendliest and most sincere friends I could have.

Whatever the outcome, I hope the natural common sense and straightforwardness of the scottish nation is not misled by one misguided, selfimportant First Minister. ROD EAST, Milford-on-Sea, Hants.

God bless Sri Lanka

I WAS truly appalled at the death and destruction caused by the terrorist attacks in sri Lanka.

I have wonderful memories of the country and people from my visit many years ago.

In Colombo, I attended a service at st Peter’s church and had breakfast in the seamen’s mission next door, which was run by the chaplain and his wife.

I was so sad that churches were destroyed in the attacks, with a resulting senseless loss of lives. God bless you, sri Lanka. DEREK WHITING, Stokesley, N. Yorks.

Sweet 16

SIXTEEN seems to be the age at which to launch political careers with bravura speeches.

remember William hague at the 1977 tory Party conference, and now we have seen Greta thunberg in the Commons. their baby faces belie their power to shame politicians with passion and common sense.

Like Malala Yousafzai, who won the nobel Peace Prize for campaigning for the education of girls in Pakistan, Greta is an example to all: a true citizen of the world. PETER SAUNDERS,

Salisbury, Wilts. We have a 16-year- old swedish schoolgirl being treated as another Mother teresa.

she has the effrontery to lecture Britain on her measures to limit carbon emissions.

no one of any stature has pointed out that if we returned to living in caves and clad ourselves in animal skins, the effect on the global situation would be minimal. this young girl should be in China where air pollution is at truly frightening levels. JAMES WOOLLEY,

Halifax, W. Yorks.

Just a phase?

SUZANNE GLOVER was full of plain, old-fashioned common sense about the trend in schools whereby it’s considered ‘cool’ to be gay or transgender (Mail).

It is akin to the emperor’s new Clothes, where we are all too frightened to speak the truth we see in front of us lest we anger the tiny minority.

When I was a young girl, my friends and I all wanted to be like George in the Famous Five: boy-like and brave tomboys. that did not mean we wished to change sex. It was a phase most of us went through.

at my all-girls grammar school, 75 per cent of my classmates had a ‘crush’ on the female Pe teacher, so did that mean most of my classmates were lesbians? no, again it was just a natural phase they went through and laughed at in later years, when happily married.

What is distressing today is that instead of realising that these feelings are natural parts of growing up, children are led to believe this is what they are and should be for the rest of their lives.

What will happen in ten or 20 years’ time when their bodies have been changed and they realise it was just something they felt for a short

moment of their lives? Of course there will always be those who have been trapped in the wrong body, but perhaps if we stopped flaunting this idea in schools they could work this out for themselves with the organisations set up to help them. LIZ OWEN, Gillingham, Dorset.

Priced out of pension

EMPLOYERS are legally required to enrol employees into a pension scheme.

Until now few individuals have exercised their right to opt out. However, the new Government-imposed increase from 3 per cent to 5 per cent in contributions is proving too big a jump for many.

Despite the April increase in tax-free pay, the overall effect has been a reduction in takehome pay.

As a Hr adviser, I am concerned that I have received a record number of requests from lower-paid workers, for whom even a small drop in income can have a significant effect, to opt out of the pension scheme. Name supplied, redditch, Worcs.

Marathon heroes

I WAs emotional watching the london marathon.

With so much hatred and anger in the world, and the news dominated by murder and mayhem, it’s too easy to forget there is so much more good out there.

Thousands coming together to raise money for charity, people lining the streets cheering them on. I felt inadequate watching them, but they have made me feel proud to be British and part of this wonderful country.

A huge thank you to everyone who took part, plus the emergency services and the volunteers who worked so hard to make it such a fun and safe event. SALLY DODD, Chineham, Hants.

Bland Bond

I CAN’T say I’m thrilled at the prospect of the new Bond film, despite all the hype.

I’ve become jaded by the franchise, which I feel will never surpass the earlier Bond movies when sean Connery played the debonair secret agent.

Daniel Craig’s performance, though sound, has never quite had an edge and at times even seemed bland.

It is rumoured that the new film will be a reboot of On Her majesty’s secret service. This is a gamble since remakes seldom eclipse the original.

Hopefully Craig’s last undertaking as 007 won’t disappoint the fans. MICHAEL SMITH,

Chatham, Kent.