IoS letters, emails and online postings (14 February 2016)

You report that Boris Johnson and David Cameron as eager to “safeguard British sovereignty” in European Union negotiations (“PM has a week to fix sovereignty, warns Johnson”, 7 February). Meanwhile they are working quietly to surrender British sovereignty, in separate EU negotiations with the United States on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).

EU decisions that bind Britain are made by all or a majority of EU nations, with at least a semblance of democracy. But TTIP in its current form will allow wealthy corporations, with no democratic mandate, to sue EU governments in secret tribunals if they make laws to protect their citizens that threaten corporate profits. This will mean that EU sovereign states can never again legislate without fear or favour, but only subject to corporate wishes. EU democracy will be history.

This is not scaremongering. Under a similar treaty, US tobacco giant Philip Morris sued Australia over its law enforcing plain packaging of cigarettes. Australia won on technicalities – but not before New Zealand halted similar legislation. If the Tories are sincere about protecting British sovereignty, they must press for TTIP to be abandoned or modified. If not, their interest in sovereignty will be seen to be selective and dishonest.

John Heawood

York

Jane Merrick is nearly right (“A cruel ruling”, 7 February). The vindictive pursuit of costs against the family of PC Rathband isn’t just to intimidate others who may be tempted to seek redress from faceless, powerful bodies. It is specifically to pressurise members of the police “family” into accepting the force’s approach and supposed protection by demonstrating how the whole legal system will be mobilised against them if they step out of line.

Mary PImm and Nik Wood

London E9

So James Jagger gets a two-page spread in Arts & Books for appearing in a film produced by his father (7 February). How about a spread next week on Prince Harry walking in a garden owned by his grandmother? And the week after that it could be Holly Branson working for a company owned by her father? The final one could be “Nepotism – does it still exist?”.

Penny Paterson

Suffolk

Mo Mowlam once suggested that Buckingham Palace should be for public use (“Spies and thirsty MPs: the latest obstacles to repairing Westminster”, 7 February). There is plenty of room to house the Commons, and the Windsors have five other palaces to choose from. In these stringent times with increasing use of food banks, a housing crisis, wages cut, zero hours and even a return to that Victorian disease rickets, it does not make sense to spend billions on the Palace of Westminster. The Queen should make a good gesture to solve this dilemma.

Jenny Bushell

London SW19

Was the irony intended? The family of five’s grand tour featured in The New Review “Global warming” (7 February) contributed between 12.36 and 19.32 tonnes per person of carbon dioxide pollution, according to carbon-calculator websites – just for the air travel. They no doubt had a wonderful time, but did the parents consider the future their children will have to face as the planet continues to heat up? And as the storms, flooding, droughts and crop failures due to anthropogenic climate change increase, those with far fewer resources in some of the exotic locations they visited are most likely to bear the brunt of their selfish and indulgent activity.

Malcolm Bride

London

Colin Bower suggests the point of HS2 is saving a few minutes whereas it is actually to do with capacity (Letters, 7 February). I regret the rising population in this country, but if we are going to let that happen then we need to build the infrastructure to cope. There is no long-term solution in lengthening platforms.

Rob Edwards

Harrogate, North Yorkshire