Those who fought for Britain must not have their statues pulled down

sir – We have asked Durham County Council to exclude monuments and statues to those who fought for Britain from the review of “all monuments and statues” that the Labour leader of the council has decided to undertake.

Our constituents don’t want this review – they recognise the importance of honouring those who fought for our country. The thing is a waste of time and resources, especially during the coronavirus outbreak.

We have support in Parliament from the Armed Forces minister. Britain has just celebrated the anniversaries of the Battle of Waterloo and of VE Day. We should be honouring those who fought for us, died for us and protected us.

Durham council is being insensitive, tin-eared to the views of a community recently stripped of the Durham Light Infantry Museum by the council.

Richard Holden

MP for North West Durham (Con)

Dehenna Davison

MP for Bishop Auckland (Con)

Paul Howell

MP for Sedgefield (Con) sir – Why does Britain have an inferiority complex about how it has treated immigrants? Our record is excellent.

Priti Patel’s parents were Indian and emigrated to Britain from Uganda in the Sixties. She is the Home Secretary.

Rishi Sunak’s father was born in Kenya and his mother in Tanzania. They were Indians and came to the UK in the Sixties. He is Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Alok Sharma’s parents were Indian and he came to Britain with them in 1973. He is the Business Secretary.

Britain is not racist. It is the most generous country in the world.

Rupert Pitt

Winchester, Hampshire

Rupert Godfrey

Devizes, Wiltshire

sir – You report (July 4) that the gravestone of a beloved pet has been removed from Coombe Abbey Park after 100 years, due to the dog’s name.

How long will it be before the grave site is expunged of Wing Commander Guy Gibson’s Labrador, sadly killed by a car on May 16 1943, the very day of the Dam Busters raid?

It was buried at RAF Scampton at midnight, as Gibson was leading Operation Chastise to the Ruhr valley. The dog’s name was the codeword, sent in morse to confirm the successful breach of the Möhne dam.

Geoff Pringle

Long Sutton, Somerset

sir – When will the Duke of Sussex realise that he has abdicated the right to comment from Los Angeles on affairs relating to the United Kingdom, and understand that we are no longer interested in his opinions?

He is, of course, free to offer them, but we would rather hear the wise leadership given by his grandmother for so many years, now continued by his increasingly wise father.

Ian Brent-smith

Stratton Audley, Oxfordshire