Parents have no faith in Johnson

■ Boris Johnson and his Tory Government are wrong to threaten to fine parents who don’t send their children back to school in September (Mirror, June 30).

So far Covid-19 has killed more than 43,000 people in Britain and it’s far from over. A second wave is already happening in Leicester and social distancing will be impossible in many schools.

I don’t blame any parent who follows their instinct and keeps their child at home – coming out of lockdown was always going to be difficult.

The Government should have been able to rely on the goodwill of the people, but that drained away when Dominic Cummings drove 260 miles to Durham in lockdown.

Things might have been better if the Government’s test and trace app had been delivered but it’s unlikely we’ll have it this year.

Yet more incompetence by this Tory Government – no wonder people have no confidence in them to keep us safe.

David Bodimeade, Rayleigh, Essex

■ I was appalled to hear Gavin Williamson say families could face fines if parents refuse to send their children back to school in the autumn. Bullying parents into complying is not the way to go.

Had the Government worked with Sir Keir Starmer, children would have safely returned to school by now by utilising empty buildings and ensuring social distancing and maximum capacity. Amanda Brown Pulham St Mary, Norfolk

■ The thing about laws is they need to be enforced. Johnson is making it law for all children to attend school in the autumn or parents will face large fines. But how will the courts deal with possibly thousands of refusals?

Children might only get the disease mildly but I can understand parents’ fears of becoming infected. The warnings from Leicester should be enough to shelve this ruling – without proper social distancing to protect all children and teachers at school who would trust such a law? Geoff Willmetts Bridgwater, Somerset

■ Everyone wants children back in school when it’s safe. A growing number were legally home schooled before this crisis so surely parents would be able to do this if they are not confident schools would be safe in September?

Threats of fines are disgusting. All Boris Johnson’s thanks to the great British public for their sacrifices during the lockdown are nothing but a sham.

Sylvia Selzer, Chester

■ You are causing more harm to your children by not sending them to school. In my view there can be no counter argument. Good luck home educating and having the resources to plan, teach and deliver a wide and varied curriculum.

Children need peer friendships and parents – don’t damage them by confusing the two. We are all more likely to die from something other than Covid-19. You can’t socially distance from cancer – we all accept other risks as part of life. Sian Thomas, Llanelli Carmarthenshire

■ I believe it should be entirely up to the parents whether they send their children back or not.

The Government has refused to work with teachers, unions and the opposition on a proper plan for kids returning to school and now they threaten parents with fines or even jail.

They have been a disgrace in dealing with this pandemic and are not to be trusted on any of it. Whatever parents choose to do, it should be their choice.

Tracey Leonard, Durham