Not all Americans support Trump, so don’t give up on us

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

Donald Trump has ended his controversial migration policy which has seen families be separated (Reuters)

I am an American and I am horrified by the path our government has taken, especially in the past two years. Every morning, I wake up and dread hearing what President Trump has to rant about. I am scared and ashamed by our nation’s actions regarding immigrants and their children. I am appalled that our country has withdrawn from the United Nations Human Rights Council, though would not be surprised if we had been kicked out.

I have written to my senators and congressman and urged them to fix this situation. I want the world to know that not everyone in America agrees with what is going on. Many Americans are fighting against this administration. I know we don’t deserve it right now, but please don’t give up on us. We’re not all Trumpkins.

Darci Merollis
Michigan

Extra money for the NHS is worthless unless we resolve the social care crisis

With the delay of the green paper on social care until the autumn, the 1.5 million people currently living without the care they need have again been betrayed.

As the green paper will be merely the start of the process, it is likely to be well into 2019 or even beyond before we see any efforts to tackle the social care crisis. What’s more, in that time more care homes will close, more home care providers will stop delivering contracts and more and more people will stop getting the support they rely upon.

Meanwhile, it’s wonderful news for the NHS this week, with an extra £20bn a year heading its way, but unless it is matched by better support for social care, it will be a waste of time. We know that £3bn a year will be spent keeping people in hospital beds because there is no social care package available.

A generation ago in 1997, Tony Blair said he didn’t want children “brought up in a country where the only way pensioners can get long-term care is by selling their home”. Some 21 years later, things have not got better, but have only got worse.

Mike Padgham, Chair of Independent Care Group
Scarborough

Theresa May is more concerned about her own future rather than the country’s

When it comes to my views on Brexit, my strongest feeling is one of sadness. I am very worried about the future prospects for generations younger than mine because of Theresa May’s lack of leadership and what I think is her steadfast concern about the future of the Conservative Party rather than the future of the country.

Until last August I spent 32 years living in the United States. I made the decision to come back because my husband wanted a chance to live here. For us personally, it was a good decision and we have no regrets. It certainly did give us the added bonus of being away from Donald Trump – a man who believes you project strength when you attack the poor and unfortunate, which is clearly the behaviour of a bully.

However, we’ve swapped that for the fearful behaviour of May. Rather than tackle the serious issues that should be uppermost in a leader’s mind, she seems much more concerned about her own future and her political party’s future, rather than the prospects of the country.

Steve Mumby
Bournemouth

The SNP isn’t challenging Westminster, despite its claims

The SNP is now thoroughly buying into the Westminster system – rather than, as it maintains, undermining it.

Democracy, as represented by the House of Commons, is widely respected throughout the world. It’s served the UK well across hundreds of years. Yet with an important caveat – it can lend itself to buffoonery and generally puerile behaviour by the honourable members.

The SNP’s Ian Blackford and his schoolboy antics are currently the most prominent example of such behaviour: orchestrated “spontaneous” theatrics, rabble rousing and personal attacks on his opponents in the manner of the worst school playground bully.

Apparently, the SNP regards this as the optimal way to promote Scottish nationalism in Westminster.

Martin Redfern
Edinburgh

We must take a stand for refugees

Harry Smith’s piece in The Independent’s Thursday edition is the best thing I have read in this paper or any other for a very long time. We must all support him in the ways he has asked us to.

David Mason
Darlington

Why buy a house when you can invest instead?

Santander’s calculations showing that owning a property is cheaper than renting seems rather flawed. It appears to assume that the £51,000 average deposit does not have a value in terms of opportunity lost. That amount invested on the stock market might well make a 5 per cent return which would, in round terms, make the cost of buying similar to renting.

There are two things that make buying attractive financially. Firstly, the enforced saving which means in retirement you pay no rent and have an asset to pay for your care; and secondly the capital growth from ever rising house prices. Regarding the latter, I can’t be the only one to wonder when this magic money tree will yield fruit.

Peter Newbery
Address supplied