Student whitewash

YOU can make up your own mind about the sensitivity or otherwise of Emily Dawes’s threat to paint over the World War I mural at Southampton University (Mail).

This piece of art commemorates staff and students of 100 years ago, when the vast majority would have been white and male. Miss Dawes appeared to imply it is not permissible to celebrate a group of people unless they tick all the diversity boxes.

She later said she had no intention of her tweet being taken literally, but she sent it from her account as president of the university’s students’ union.

In an era when the US President governs by Twitter, she must surely expect the 24,000 students she represents will take what she says ex

officio. If not, her judgment is even worse than I thought.

BOB BELL, Croydon, Surrey.