Theresa May must come back to Parliament and take her job seriously or be replaced

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Theresa May has announced that she will be extending her walking holiday to the end of this week, missing the printing of crucial EU Brexit negotiating papers (AP)

A prime minister who goes back to work “almost four weeks after she began her summer break” does not deserve to be in office, taking the people she is meant to govern for what clearly is a ride.

Even worse, with so many crises developing both in this country and in the world in general, it becomes almost criminal for a democratically-elected leader to absent herself at such a time, and it now behoves parliament to pass legislation prohibiting such glaring unprofessionalism ever happening again.

Work is urgently needed to clarify the Brexit situation, caution is needed from the UK`s apparent “closest ally”, words of leadership are essential to deal with prison and midwifery problems, and policies need to be formulated on caring and health, education funding and so many other issues.

It matters not a jot that she is “a dead man walking”, or whether she has been told to stay away by party bigwigs. May is the Prime Minister and needs to do her job, or be replaced immediately.

Bernie Evans
Liverpool

The Tories should listen to Scottish leader Ruth Davidson on immigration

With Ruth Davidson being put firmly “back in her box” over immigration by the Prime Minister’s number two, Damian Green, this neatly puts well and truly to bed the claim that the Scottish Conservative leader has some influence within the portals of power in London.

Davidson is right in her call for a debate over the UK Government’s ridiculous target to reduce net migration to less than 100,000. While the amount of pensioners in Scotland is expected to rise by 28 per cent over the next 25 years, worker numbers are only increasing by one per cent. We therefore face an ageing population, but only marginal growth in the working age population, yet all that seems to concern the Tories is achieving a bizarre arbitrary migration target that was set in 2010.

In the run up to the EU referendum senior figures in the leave campaign, such as Michael Gove, promised increased powers over immigration would come to Scotland, with the introduction of a points-based system, should the UK vote to leave the EU. These pledges, like many others that were made in that campaign, have been predictably quickly forgotten.

Scotland desperately needs an immigration system that caters to the challenges we as a nation face, and while Davidson may be calling for such a debate, absolutely no one within her own party is listening.

Alex Orr
Edinburgh

No more violence towards animals

Yas Necati is right about the violence we inflict on animals. As a species we humans have put many wrongs right over the centuries. However our treatment of animals is a last frontier we have not overcome. It is time to accord animals some fundamental rights. We will be doing ourselves a big favour as it will be great for our moral well-being. We will have declared a peace treaty with animals.

Nitin Mehta
Croydon

Trump wants Charlottesville protestors on his side

Donald Trump will not directly denounce the actions of the neo-Nazis because these are the people who will be voting for him in the 2020 presidential election. He is already focussing on it, and he doesn't want to do anything to alienate his base.

Sarah Pegg
Seaford

Only prominent and self-sacrificing political leaders can stop a hard Brexit

Theresa May seems entranced by hard Brexit. Only courageous self-sacrificing politicians and past and present senior officials can break the spell. Tony Blair and David Miliband tried. Former officials have alluded to the madness of it all, as have Tory grandees Ken Clarke and Michael Heseltine. Anna Soubry has now cried enough is enough, talking about possibly leaving the party if it blunders towards that cliff edge.

But bigger names are needed to get the anti-hard Brexit ball rolling. So, Philip Hammond needs to sort this matter out inside the Cabinet if he can, or outside if he must. His joint statement with Liam Fox, talking about transitional arrangements, is a start. But the key issue is the Prime Minister. She needs to be forced into a common sense soft Brexit, or forced out of Downing Street before she can do any more harm. Maybe only three people can do this: Ruth Davidson, Amber Rudd and Philip Hammond himself. They would be harshly criticised by the usual suspects, but criticism matters little when history is on your side.

John Gemmell
Birmingham

The track record of Jacob-Rees Mogg

For those playing the “Jacob Rees-Mogg would be fun for leader” tune, may I just say this: this privileged throwback is the same extremely fortunate Etonian who said that aid to disadvantaged countries should stop.

The man who makes Downton Abbey look understated said that aid to the poor, hungry, starving and exploited should be a matter of philanthropy. In other words the rich give a few crumbs from the table if they happen to feel like it.

Those living in countries that have, for centuries, subsidised the living standards of the West and more specifically the highly privileged like Rees-Mogg are to be abandoned unless some rich person finds that their tax status will benefit from a bit of charitable giving.

I can only assume that the Rees-Mogg idea is an attempt to divert us from impending nuclear annihilation – with something worse.

Amanda Baker
Edinburgh