Johnson’s looming presence makes Sunak look very weak

Sunak cuts an increasingly desperate figure and No 10 is desperate to find any crumb of positivity he could report on. Trouble is, there is nothing – the continued famine of failure around Tory policy implosion is numbing for the party (including Sunak’s five pillars of failure). Talk is cheap and Sunak looks increasingly weak. All this is now amplified by the stalking horse of Johnson looming over him.

Dale Hughes Address supplied

Even ex-Tories can see we need change

I read John Rentoul’s column with interest (Clarke is the latest Tory to sign up to Starmer for PM, Voices, yesterday) because I always feel that Ken Clarke has an experienced and very wise eye for the trajectory of his party and the ensuing maelstrom that is life in Britain today.

He knows that the auspices are not looking too favourable in two years’ time, even with a more ameliorative prime minister at the helm (one who is hopefully averse to such dire populist and damaging rhetoric than we have put up with in the past) – although the issue of migration and the spectre of Rwanda is a continuing stain on their present uncompassionate mindset. But there are so many crises to contend with, largely brought on by 12 years and counting of a Tory government – who, with their right-wing faction so preoccupied with the debacle that is

Brexit, omitted to shore up the public sector with appropriate funding and support.

So, we are where we are – and ex-Tory ministers such as Clarke are seeing the wood for the trees and perhaps would welcome a spell in opposition. Keir Starmer and his team are showing professionalism and a burning desire to govern this country, so bring on a political change and, yes, a different and more proactive way of doing things.

Judith A Daniels Norfolk

Barking mad

I’ve had several letters published over the years concerning the issue of dangerous, inappropriate and poorly controlled dogs and their very obvious danger to the public. Following the latest appalling incident in Surrey, we are again told by the police that their “thoughts are with the family” of the young woman who died and the other currently in hospital.

When are we going to have more than thoughts and platitudes in response to an obvious and unnecessary danger? The answer is: it’s way past time.

Amanda Baker Edinburgh

Reaction to school shootings is horrifying

Newport News, Virginia, the city where a six-year-old shot his teacher, is going to instal metal detectors in all schools. This might be necessary but is both sad and horrifying. Primary school-aged children should never have access to weapons. Why is this so difficult an idea to convince Americans of? It is not an effort to restrict personal freedoms, but to maintain a safe environment for young people.

Why aren’t children allowed to grow up happily, peacefully and – most importantly – safely, rather than living in the gun lobby world with access to weapons?

It’s an old problem

Apparently, the government is surprised and concerned about the number of over-50s that are voluntarily not in work. This is no surprise to me when I consider how many friends, relatives and neighbours have been financially able to retire early; be they teachers, lecturers, civil servants, local government employees, police, armed forces, GPs or hospital consultants, all of whom are in receipt of generous severance and pensions at ages 55 and over.

Many have calculated that a few years after retirement they are better off than when working. Significantly, those who only qualify for the state pension, have to work until 66 (and rising every year) – often in extremely labour-intensive jobs, before receiving one of the lowest pensions in the Western world.

Geoff Forward Stirling

Let the people decide

Yesterday’s editorial on the NHS crisis quite properly stresses the urgency of the situation confronting us. The government seemingly favours measuring the performance of the NHS in terms of current excess mortality rates against the excess mortality rates of a global pandemic, an unfavourable day-to-day comparison, all while continuing to blame Covid and NHS staff themselves for the ongoing problems.

The pandemic was badly managed. We had far too many deaths. This event took place against a background of long-term underfunding of the NHS in preparation for a Tory “free market” privatisation. That background is very much a defining presence today. We are told by the government that strikes cause public suffering. And they do, but their own refusal to talk is much more the reason for them. The mass strikes extend well beyond the NHS and must be dealt with promptly.

While the urgency is in the resolution of disputes, we must not lose sight of the underlying causes of the chaos – the Tory party’s libertarian views and policies. The Tories will not of themselves be changed by some ethereal voice like Paul on the road to Damascus. They have to be defeated if our society is to prosper. We need a new government. The tool for change is the ballot box. Let the public speak.

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