IoS letters, emails and online postings (10 October 2015)

David Cameron accuses Jeremy Corbyn of sympathising with terrorists, threatening British security and calling the death of Osama bin Laden a tragedy. He shamelessly takes Corbyn’s words about bin Laden completely out of context. Regarding security and terrorists, the Tory record does not stand up to scrutiny. About 30 years ago there was a communist government in Afghanistan. The UK conspired with the United States and Saudi Arabia to overthrow it. The means used was to raise up an Islamist terrorist revolution. Margaret Thatcher called one warlord, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a “freedom fighter”. He threw acid in women’s faces, dealt in opium and shelled the city of Kabul in an attempt to seize power. These mujahedin fighters whom the UK government helped to raise up were the forerunners of the Taliban and al-Qaeda. There may have been some concern about the long-term consequences, answered by the then US National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski who said “a few stirred-up Muslims” would never be a problem for the West.

Jeremy Corbyn would have been opposed to all of that. David Cameron should be asked about where he stands.

Brendan O’Brien

London N21

The article “Brexit: ‘EU would dictate our new deal’” (4 October) reports that leaving the EU would risk “disadvantageous rules being dictated” to the UK with respect to our trading relationship. What the “In” people don’t or refuse to know is that we are also part of the European Economic Area. The EEA’s membership consists of all the EU members plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. If the UK left the EU, we would still be a member of the EEA and thus retain all the present trading links without any renegotiation. This is the status of Norway and Iceland.

As EEA members, we would still be subject to the free movement of labour (unpopular mainly with the right) and the free movement of capital (unpopular mainly with the left). However, the EEA might be an easier organisation with which to negotiate, as its decisions are not subject to veto. So the sensible path might be to leave just the EU, then see whether the EEA agreement can be modified – perhaps towards a Swiss-type solution. After this, perhaps another referendum!

Phil Nicholson

Glasgow

Does “Call me Dave” Cameron really think that PE teachers will be jumping up and down with glee (in their sandpits) over his latest gimmick? (“Primary schools to get PE lessons from the Premier League”, 4 October.) As a PE teacher of 21 years, the School Sports Partnerships was the best thing for years in providing children with greater opportunities in PE. It also gave teachers up-to-speed training and helped us buy valuable resources. As Jane Merrick reported, Michael Gove cut funding in 2010. Sorry to sound cynical but we’ve seen and heard it all before. Reintroduce the School Sports Partnerships which worked very well.

Alan O’Brien

Primary school PE co-ordinator, Middlesbrough

Every week supermarkets receive hundreds of deliveries in cardboard boxes (Leading article, 4 October). Instead of a 5p charge on plastic carrier bags, why not make these boxes available to customers to pack their shopping into? That would effectively cut right back on pollution, and be very convenient to shoppers.

Penny Little

Great Haseley, Oxfordshire

I don’t know which Labour conference Jane Merrick attended (4 October) if she felt it “failed to lift the spirits of Labour Party faithful”. I have been to every Labour conference since 1979, and this one ranked up there with 1997 for excitement and sheer enthusiasm.

Kevin Flack

South Darenth, Kent

Neil Back described the England rugby team’s exit from the World Cup as “a disaster” (4 October). No, Mr Back, it was a rugby match.

Philip Stock

Via email