LETTERS to the EDITOR

The Government should intervene to arrest the decline of the Church of England

SIR – Peter Stanford is the latest columnist to describe the numerous woes of the Church of England (Features, March 31).

Many readers will simply say to themselves: “What does it matter if the former leading religion in the country fades into oblivion?” A tour of the villages of England will provide an answer: in every part of the country, parish churches occupy a central position.

Prior to the establishment of parish councils in 1894, the local church not only provided spiritual guidance to the population, but also acted as the first tier of the civil administration. Parish church records (if they are still available) make fascinating reading.

To arrest the further decline of the Church, the Government needs to intervene to review the situation and should be prepared to pass legislation that instigates change. The repeal of the Act of Supremacy would remove the obligation for the sovereign to fill the role of Supreme Governor of the Church of England. The Church could also lose the right to incorporate its General Synod measures into law, and to retain 26 seats for bishops in the House of Lords. The reformed church could then focus on its core role of supporting parishes, rather than acting as an unelected political lobby. A central agency supported by the taxpayer could play a leading role in maintaining the many church buildings.

These changes would provide a framework to revitalise an important institution and maintain our Christian heritage in this country. Ian Graham Carlisle, Cumbria

SIR – Although there are social and demographic reasons for the Church of England’s decline, a major contributory factor must be finance.

The wasteful pursuit of woke causes by both the central Church and dioceses, as well as the unnecessarily large number of bishops, are putting huge burdens on the parishes. There is no sign of the promised support fund being distributed in my part of the world. In addition to a more urgent release of those funds, the archbishops should set in motion a review of the dioceses. It is not clear to me why there are nearly twice as many now as there were 200 years ago, and four times as many bishops, while the number of parish clergy has fallen by three quarters.

A drastic reduction in dioceses, bishops and their overheads would have the valuable result of releasing these experienced, dedicated and articulate people into the parishes, which are desperately short of clergy and the income necessary to support them. Donald R Clarke Tunbridge Wells, Kent

The Brexit failure

SIR – Daniel Hannan (Comment, March 31) thinks the downfall of the Conservatives started when they booted out Boris Johnson. On the contrary, it started when the country voted for Brexit.

Brexiteers are furious about Brexit, as it is a disaster that hasn’t delivered. Remainers are furious about Brexit as it is a disaster that hasn’t delivered.

Lord Hannan may think it’s madness to change leader, and he could be right. However, it’s all but certain the Tories will lose under Rishi Sunak, so I’d bring back Boris Johnson anyway, and it can be the next disaster he owns.

Lord Hannan previously complained that there is no money for pensions. Little wonder when the signature policy of this Government, specifically Brexit, is costing the country an estimated £40 billion per year in lost tax revenue.

Gemma Wright London SW15

SIR – Boris Johnson may have been a matchless communicator, but he was supposed to be implementing the benefits of Brexit – not throwing money at vanity projects like HS2 or virtue-signalling on uncosted net zero nonsense.

Lord Sumption once summed him up: “He’s never prepared to put in the work that would make him utterly confident of his own position ... He simply does not have the intellectual capacity to follow it through. It’s not because he’s stupid. He clearly isn’t. It’s because he’s intellectually idle.” Robert Sare Chigwell, Essex

SIR – Daniel Hannan seems oblivious to the effect of Boris Johnson’s cultivated Covid panic and the resentment that festers as its effects are still felt.

A great many businesses are struggling to survive, thanks to being cut off from suppliers and customers while incurring ongoing costs to remain operational yet unable to trade. The effective abandonment of primary healthcare still takes a considerable toll. The imposition of lockdowns, masks and social distancing can never be forgiven, nor can the partying in Downing Street when the public were effectively imprisoned.

Mr Johnson’s position in office and in the party was untenable. The party lacked the awareness to appoint an appropriate successor. Hamish Hossick Dundee

Birth before the NHS

SIR – James Bartholomew’s review of healthcare pre-1948 (Comment, March 31) focuses on the role of hospitals. However, general practice played a serious part. Only the grindingly poor had babies in hospital.

In March 1933 my mother engaged our very young GP to be present at my birth, her third pregnancy. The fee was £25. The average weekly wage for a working man was £5 a week. After an uneventful delivery the placenta failed to come away. This could have caused a serious loss of blood. As there was no blood transfusion service it was a major cause of death.

The GP turned her on her side, administered chloroform and then manually removed the placenta. He remained our family doctor for the next 25 years.

How many present-day GPs would have coped? Dr J H Wright Glossop, Derbyshire

Putin on the brink

SIR – I agree with David Platts (Letters, March 31) that the threat from Russia is real and we must spend more on defence.

However it is worth pointing out that it has taken Vladimir Putin two years just to make a dent in Ukraine. He has lost billions of pounds in military equipment and hundreds of thousands of military personnel have been killed or wounded. He has only managed to retain credibility in Russia by spreading lies and murdering opponents. It is a position that cannot last – and he must know it. Mick Ferrie Mawnan Smith, Cornwall

Exploited racehorses

SIR – Your correspondents who defend horse racing are overlooking some uncomfortable facts (Letters, March 31).

Racehorses are whipped in an attempt to make them run faster, for a maximum of six times per horse per race on the flat and seven times in jump races. Even this is not enough for some jockeys: in the first half of 2023, there were 370 breaches of the rules.

Horses have been selectively bred for speed, not strength, which is one reason why so many die on the racetrack from injuries such as broken limbs and severe tendon or spinal damage. This brutal sport is largely funded by betting, so I would urge people not to bet on horse racing.

In addition, Animal Aid calls upon the BBC to stop encouraging gambling and animal cruelty by its continued offering of racing tips on Radio 4’s Today programme. Iain Green Director, Animal Aid Tonbridge, Kent

SIR – As the owner and rider of horses over many years I can honestly say that you can’t make a horse do something it doesn’t want to do. Successful racehorses love their job, as do successful show jumpers, dressage horses, and eventers. Anyone who has experienced a horse steadfastly refusing to do as it’s asked will agree. Gail Cornish Glastonbury, Somerset

Britain and slavery

SIR – It seems to me that Britain has already paid any possible reparation for slavery (Letters, March 31).

Thousands of Britons have given their working lives to help developing nations since the abolition of slavery, through the Colonial service, charities, Voluntary Services Overseas and government aid programmes. British people still donate most generously to many overseas charities, like the Zambia Society Trust or Unicef.

We should be proud of those like my uncle, who worked tirelessly to prepare Jamaica for independence, and the many thousands who continue this work. John Blackburne North Pickenham, Norfolk

SIR – Who is going to pay reparations for the enslavement of local people in South Devon by Barbary pirates many years ago?

I am descended from John Prettejohn, who lived at Stokenham in 1530. Most of his descendants were farmers and fisherman in the area between Salcombe and Dartmouth and it is quite likely that some ended up in North Africa as slaves.

Is anybody in North Africa offering compensation? I doubt it. Philip Venner Stalbridge Weston, Dorset

The death of opera

SIR – In Britain, the elites are winning in their battle to cancel opera (Letters, March 31).

We have the astonishing Arts

Council cuts. We have productions that hector us with their faddish assumptions. We have radio stations like Classic FM, which limit “opera” to a short list of pop tunes. In their Hall of Fame relay, the presenters proudly announce these tunes as “the opera”. In fact, the operatic music is generally an overture, a transcription, or other adaptation for orchestral instruments. Oratorio is barely acknowledged except through two or three numbers like the Dies Irae.

When BBC television can barely stand to show even an annual opera or operetta, it is no wonder that our superb classical music tradition is being wiped out. Linda Hughes Newton Abbot, Devon

Paper promises

SIR – I have received three election leaflets for the local and general elections, all full of promises to fight for jobs and keep services local.

However all three leaflets were printed hundreds of miles away, instead of using local firms. Bernard Powell Southport, Lancashire

SIR – I was sorry to read the news of the Green Party candidate Danica Priest, who had her fingertip bitten off by a dog while leafleting (report, March 31).

As an old, seasoned canvasser, I use a wooden spoon when stuffing political leaflets through letterboxes. My husband prefers an ice scraper. Christine Schwick Ashwell, Hertfordshire