I’m not surprised MPs are enjoying the prorogation – they must need a break

Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

I had to smile at Rob Merrick’s article about our political representatives relishing this enforced break from parliamentary duties thanks to the infamous proroguing by Boris Johnson.

To be fair to the more dedicated and committed MPs it must be a nightmare sometimes juggling constituency concerns with long sittings in the house.

But when I watch the Scottish parliament, their mobile phones are certainly not so prevalent as in the House of Commons. I sometimes wonder if our MPs are often sorting out a thorny local problem, whilst supposedly listening to an important debate.

I often find myself shouting at the television, “Stop looking at your phone” – perhaps they are researching solutions for the Irish backstop, but probably not.

Judith A Daniels
Great Yarmouth

Leave education alone

Education needs protecting from politicians. Successive administrations have tinkered with education since the Thatcher government brought in the National Curriculum, closing the motor mechanics, metalwork, childcare and other vocational courses.

As a secondary teacher and then as head of science my teams and I spent many thousands of hours rewriting schemes of work and lesson plans every time a new minister of education was disappointed in performance and decided to leave their mark or a party decided to make manifesto promises.

Add to this the effects of austerity, and who suffers? Both teachers and their pupils. Increases in class sizes, lack of teaching resources and support staff set against the pressure of keeping up performance and satisfying parents who now have almost constant access via email saps the joy from teaching.

When you are under pressure outside the classroom the tendency is to fall back on the talk and chalk style of teaching which is the least successful approach for the less able child. This leads to more classroom disruption by those whose needs are not being met. Every child in education can expect to have had at least three different administrations in charge of their education between reception and the sixth form. And so it goes on.

Education needs a root and branch reform. And then leave everything alone for at least 12 to 15 years!

Anne Robson
Wiltshire

The true democracy

If a political party includes policy X in its general election manifesto and if that party then wins power, the newly governing party is able to implement policy X. Arguably it is also obliged to implement it, as the electors will have assented to that policy after being given the choice of supporting it or not.

So I cannot understand Patrick Cosgrove’s claim (letters) that the Lib Dems’ stated policy of revoking Article 50 “without seeking public opinion” is undemocratic. A general election campaign is as democratic as it gets, and the outcome of such an election overrides all previous elections and referenda. The people are allowed to make their minds up, and the people are allowed to change their minds. Therein lies the basis of sovereignty.

Sam Boote​
Nottingham

Shamefaced

I’m also offended by Canadian leader Justin Trudeau’s velvet-gloved neo-liberal policies (“I’m less offended by Justin Trudeau’s blackface than I am by his policies”) – but let’s give credit where it’s due. At least Trudeau has had the good grace – the capacity, indeed – to apologise, seemingly sincerely, for this ill-judged past behaviour and the impact that it’s had on people of colour.

I wish the same could be said for our own leader, who has consistently declined the opportunity to apologise for the racist comments he made about Muslim women’s attire. And this is not even to mention the measurable spike in actual hate crimes that has occurred as a direct result of prime minister Johnson’s racist comments – mirroring exactly what’s happened in the US following the calculated racist outbursts of Trump.

On the world stage of political leaders, it’s a tough place to be to feel justifiably ashamed of one’s own prime minister and the grave shortcomings of his character.

Richard House
Stroud, Gloucestershire

Goodbye, Humphrys

John Humphrys will be missed by millions of Radio 4 listeners – but not by politicians. Sadly, neither Jeremy Corbyn nor Boris Johnson had the cajones to appear before him. Shame on them.

Christopher Learmont-Hughes
Caldy, Wirral

A response

Doula UK, the organisation of around 700 doulas in the UK, Ireland and Channel Islands, would like to extend its sympathy to the family [which hired a doula who did not turn up when the woman gave birth].

We would however also like to make the important distinction that findmydoula.co.uk is not operated by Doula UK and that we recommend that any family looking to hire a doula use the official Doula UK website doula.org.uk. In order to become a member of Doula UK doulas must complete training from one of our approved course providers who are rigorously and frequently assessed by Doula UK and have to follow our core curriculum. Doulas are then invited to become mentored doulas, a process which typically takes two years, where they are mentored by a senior doula. Doula UK has a comprehensive complaints and feedback system and membership may be withdrawn if a member is found to be negligent or has breached our code of conduct.

Doula UK