Junior doctors are not radicalised revolutionaries – Jeremy Hunt has simply pushed them too far

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Junior doctor's have decided to resume strikes over their contracts (AFP/Getty)

I cannot see how highly intelligent and trained people who have spent seven to 10 years studying and acquiring skills have suddenly become radicalised without the utmost provocation and mismanagement.

What might have gained Jeremy Hunt's attention is for all those who have voted to reject the pay "deal" to give 3 months’ notice of resignation from their various employers. I have little doubt they would all find re-employment in the new private health service that seems to be the Government's destination.

Rodney Lunn

Junior doctors need to reconsider striking

In a free democracy it is an indisputable right of any individual, or group, to withhold their labour and go on strike.

However, another indisputable fact is that every strike is eventually brought to a conclusion by the two disputing parties meeting and solving their problems through meaningful discussions.

The present state of affairs involving the junior doctors will eventually be resolved by the two parties meeting, discussing their case and through negotiation, resolving their current dispute.

Until common sense is applied, the arguments will continue prolonging the agony and disaster that is a product of every strike.

If only the two sides could just swallow their pride and spare a few thoughts for those who are suffering through their actions, perhaps some light may appear at the end of the tunnel.

A large dose of humility and consideration of others may just be the cure.

Colin Bower
Sherwood

Jeremy Hunt could stop this strike

We are facing the prospect of another round of strikes by junior doctors. This will cause even more severe disruption and inconvenience than the previous ones, but I do not blame the doctors. These are my reasons.

The doctors offered to keep working if the Government does not impose the new contract on them, so Jeremy Hunt could easily prevent the strikes and keep negotiating.

Doctors say the new contract is not safe for patients. I trust them more than I trust politicians. In the long run the new contract would create much worse problems for all of us than the strike days.

Many operations are cancelled everyday due to lack of staff. Stretching the same staff over seven days would not help. Several hospital departments, including A&E, have been closed due to lack of staff. Today's junior doctors are tomorrow's GPs and consultants. The new contract discriminates against women and part-time doctors; the Government has accepted this is true. Poor conditions and worsening contracts result in fewer applicants to study medicine, worsening the shortage of doctors.

Abelardo Clariana-Piga
Southampton

An error goes unnoticed

John Rentoul missed the error in Wednesday's article about pterosaurs. According to that they died out "leaving no ancestors".

Sean OHara
Robertsbridge

Nieto should have stood up to Trump

The President of Mexico failed to show bravery when he faced the belligerent Donald Trump.

President Pena Nieto has let his people down in welcoming the same man who has failed to treat Mexican people as human beings and portrayed them as scum of the earth.

Not only did he fail to demand an apology from Trump for calling Mexican migrants rapists and criminals, he stood by silently in their joint press conference while the Republican candidate repeated his promise to build a border wall between the countries.

The entire world was expecting the President to use the moment to stand up to the bully who has been dehumanising minorities in the US. He had a golden opportunity to confront him once and for all.

The New York Times quoted Enrique Krauze, a well-known historian who referred to the meeting as a “historic error”. “You confront tyrants. You don’t appease them,” he added.

“It isn’t brave to meet in private with somebody who has insulted and denigrated” Mexicans, Krauze said. “It isn’t dignified to simply have a dialogue.”

Bullies are like balloons full of air. Once you stand up to them the balloon loses its air and is deflated, losing its power which was not real anyway but a mirage.

Unfortunately, Nieto acted as a school kid in a state of bewilderment who is shaking and sweating in front a bully.

He should have stood up to the villain and told him about the need to tone down the rhetoric against marginalised people, the need to behave with civility if he wants to be a true leader to bring people together and the need to behave and conduct himself with some decency and civility.

Abubakar Kasim
Toronto

Where is Trump getting the money for the wall from?

Exactly how is Donald Trump going to force the Mexicans to pay for his wall?

Gillian Cook
Market Harborough