The only ‘E’ Hunt should be concerned about is the EU

Mr Hunt is reputed to be bringing his proven commercial acumen to the business of government. He will no doubt understand the significance of turnover to a successful venture. For an economy it is called GDP. Mr Hunt has asserted that “we need to make Brexit a catalyst”. It cannot have escaped his attention that it already has been. Brexit has been a catastrophic impoverishment, reducing both GDP and related government revenues – and it is an ongoing impairment to both.

Whatever hopes are held for the “four Es”, our best option is to rejoin the EU tout de suite. Its impact would be beneficial, long lasting and almost immediate. Ending the self-harm is a commendable policy.

David Nelmes Newport

Footing the bill

When one of us is accused of wrongdoing, the legal costs have to be self-funded due to our abysmal legal aid system. In the case of Boris Johnson, however, when one of our so-called betters runs up hundreds of thousands of pounds of lawyer fees, it is left to us to pay for that too.

Geoff Forward Stirling

Sunak can’t read the room on Zahawi

Do I have this right? Nadhim Zahawi – Conservative Party chair, briefly chancellor of the Exchequer (a job that had quite a lot to do with the collection of taxes) – was “careless” about his own taxes. This led to a fine by HMRC over the collection of his own taxes. All this while he was chancellor, and while he is currently chair. He also briefly stood for leadership of the Conservative Party – success in which would have made him prime minister.

Just sack him, already, Rishi. Why is that so difficult? Once upon a time he would have “resigned”, saving you the effort; since that no longer seems to be the case, it looks like you’ll have to step in. After all, there are only two years to the crunch vote and counting down. Tick, tock...

Ian Henderson Norwich

I retired from full-time employment when I turned 65, but have continued to do occasional work for the last seven years, in order to supplement my pension and try to contribute something useful to others while I can.

Having calculated my tax bill in the autumn, I submitted the payment – a few hundred pounds – in December, well ahead of the 31 January deadline. I have paid my taxes willingly throughout my working life because I believe that they help fund education, health, welfare and other services that are essential; not just for myself and my family, but for all people in our society. There is nothing remarkable about my behaviour; I assumed it was the norm for citizens of the UK.

But now I am coming to realise that I have been taken for a fool by a government that is led by people who avoid paying huge sums of tax by hiding their wealth elsewhere, or who seek eyewatering loans from those to whom they can give preferences in return. A government, moreover, that spends the money that I have contributed to HMRC on vanity projects, and by granting

contracts to those they know who do not have the capacity to deliver on their specious promises.

I read that many Tory donors and supporters ensure that they enjoy the privileges of living in this country (when it is convenient to them), while being facilitated in keeping their notinconsiderable wealth elsewhere in order to minimise the taxes that they pay.

The values of those in and around government would seem to be inspired by two recurrent questions: “What – or how much – can I get away with before I’m found out?” and “When I am found out, how can I brazen things out until people forget what I’ve done?”

The longer this is allowed to continue, the harder it will be to eradicate this stench from public life that I fear is fast becoming endemic in our culture.

Graham Powell Cirencester

We must provide refuge

The colossal magnitude of the current refugee crisis is unmatched in human history. This places unmitigated pressure on our educational, environmental, economic, social and healthcare services.

However, we must see refugees and migrants through a positive lense. We must challenge stereotypes, Islamophobia, antisemitism, racism and discrimination that still lurk underneath the surface.

Refugees leave due to armed conflicts, climate change and prejudices. What they need is more compassion, more humour, more warmth, understanding and people to value them.

Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob London

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