I too had an expensive private education, so I understand the elitist origins of Jacob Rees-Mogg's awful Grenfell comments

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Having myself had an extremely elitist and expensive education, I understand the origin of Jacob Rees-Mogg’s infamously terrible Grenfell remarks. I was advised by our headmaster that rules are made to be broken, which effectively means that rules apply to others but not to oneself. Applying this principle to his comment about ignoring the advice given to stay put in the towering inferno, it would be so easy for him to ignore such an instruction in the name of common sense, but tragically not for the victims.

Tony Tugnutt
Eythorne, Kent

The December election isn’t fair on schools

I am not surprised that election officers are spitting rosettes after Gavin Williamson’s plea that polling stations should not be located in schools. Facilitating a general election at short notice at a very busy period for schools was always going to be a big ask. After the first week of campaigning, Boris Johnson might wish he hadn’t called this election in the first place.

Judith A Daniels
Norfolk

Older people need to get moving in later life

Physical inactivity in later life is one of our country’s greatest health challenges, set to cost the NHS more than £1.3bn by 2030 if left unaddressed.

Strength and balancing exercises can drastically improve health outcomes and help maintain independence in later life. Encouragingly, Anchor Hanover’s research shows 76 per cent of older people want to exercise more.

We urgently need solutions that encourage people to meet recommended levels of exercise in a way that suits their needs, to improve wellbeing and reduce strain on the NHS, which is a lifeline for so many.

Everyone should have a chance to live life to the full, regardless of age.

Jane Ashcroft
London

The SNP’s NHS protection bill is yet more scaremongering

SNP MP Philippa Whitford told us in 2014 the only way to save the Scottish NHS from privatisation was independence. It would seem that the SNP is still scaremongering, with its newly proposed NHS Protection Bill.

Five years on, Dr Whitford self-evidently is wrong; we are still fortunate here in the UK to receive medical treatment free at the point of delivery, irrespective of individual financial circumstances.

Now Nicola Sturgeon claims the NHS is to be used as a bargaining chip in US trade talks – despite Boris Johnson repeatedly insisting absolutely to the contrary, as emphatically does Jeremy Corbyn.

The SNP: scaremongering for Scotland?

Martin Redfern
Edinburgh

The Tories and Labour are incomparable on spending

Sean O’Grady is indeed correct in his article about the similarities between Labour and Tory spending plans. But there is a significant difference: one party has been identifying those policies as an alternative to austerity for a number of years. The other has adopted them and abandoned that austerity only with the advent of an election. Which should we prefer?

Ned Holt
Cheltenham

Give retail workers the day off for Remembrance Sunday

Remembrance Sunday is very fast approaching. It’s a chance for all to have a truce in these uncertain times and unite in peace and respect.

There is an extremely cogent case for retail closure across the UK for Remembrance Sunday to elevate the peace, decorum, reflection and understatement inherent in Remembrance Sunday. And for more working people and their families to partake in the Remembrance Sunday events. Retail would gain as more goods would be brought before the one day closure and on reopening.

Politicians would gain huge respect by rising above Brexit divides to join together to legislate for retail closure across the UK for Remembrance Sunday.

John Barstow
Address supplied