Consensual not confrontational governance should be the order of the day

Letters to the editor: our readers share their views. Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

It is depressing that everything and everyone is to blame, except for our parlous government (Getty Images)

I agree with your editorial: this constant combative mode of the government, and now both leadership hopefuls, is becoming tiresome and unproductive.

There is indeed a bidding war between Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak: who can sound the most vociferous on tax cuts or rises, union strangulation and tougher immigration strategies. For once, couldn’t there be some relief from this type of strong-arm rhetoric?

Yes, there is indeed a resonant recognition from the public of what frontline workers did for us in the dire throes of the pandemic. But this seems to have been conveniently forgotten by these putative prime ministers when it comes to their insistence on pay restraint.

It really is 1970s dejá vu, and somehow so depressing, that everything and everyone is to blame except for our parlous government. Consensual, not confrontational, governance should be the order of the day – but that now seems like whistling or even living in the dark, which will probably come to pass when our energy runs out.

Judith A Daniels

Great Yarmouth

An omen

First we had a policeman fainting, standing close to Boris Johnson while he was speaking; now we have a TV interviewer fainting while Liz Truss is speaking.

A superstitious person might think this is a sign.

Geoff Forward

Stirling

Distant cries

Of all the dirty tricks this despicable government has pulled, the dropping of legislation to ban fur and foie gras imports, along with the importation of hunting “trophies” (ie bits of animals that humans have slaughtered) and the prohibiting of adverts for cruel elephant “entertainments” for tourists, is the most morally corrupt. Jacob Rees-Mogg, the old fogey poseur, is no doubt delighted that the legislation, which he opposed, has been abandoned.

I just reel at the awfulness of the bunch of thuggish Tory politicians currently running our country – running as in “running into the ground”, that is. If Keir Starmer thinks that moderating his manifesto to be more like the Tories is a good move, then total despair threatens.

Before putting your cross against a Tory candidate, listen to the distant cries of defenceless animals that they have refused to help, for the love of God.

Penny Little

Great Haseley

Squatting in No 10

How can anyone have anything but contempt for a constitutional dispensation that allows a disgraced prime minister, ejected from office for inveterate dishonesty but foolishly allowed to squat in 10 Downing Street, to have anything whatever to do with appointments to the House of Lords?

D Maughan Brown

York

While Rome burns

Like many other British citizens, I am suffering from election fatigue due to the continuing blue-on-blue action in leadership debates. However, I’m much more worried about the issues that are either being swept under the carpet or completely ignored while Rome burns.

The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, which breaks international law, sets us on a course towards a trade war with Europe and IP (International Pariah) status with the rest of the world. David Trimble’s sad passing reminds us of the fragile foundations upon which the peace rests.

There was the Australian trade deal, passed through parliament without the promised scrutiny. This threatens our farmers, our food security and, ultimately, our democracy in Britain.

There has been the stealthy privatisation of the NHS, using Covid and backlogs to suggest that the NHS cannot cope and, therefore, that the answer is to scrap it in stages.

The leadership contest may well be yet another “dead cat”, used to divert attention from the tsunami of strategic issues facing UK plc. Changing the leader does not change the underlying problems. The elephant in the room remains. Its name starts with a “B” – but it dare not speak its name, lest it upsets Truss and Sunak.

Peter Cook

Gillingham

To keep up to speed with all the latest opinions and comment sign up to our free weekly Voices Dispatches newsletter by clicking here