The Traitors is a show that keeps on giving

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The overwhelming public response to The Traitors has highlighted the profound and positive impact that representing autistic people in the media can have (“The Traitors: Charity receives £30,000 in donations after finalist Alexander shared his brother’s moving story”, Monday 27 January).

In the most recent series – which attracted 7.4 million viewers – contestant Alexander Dragonetti shared the story of his late autistic brother. While Alexander missed out on the show’s prize money, I was moved by the number of fans inspired to donate to charitable causes that support people with learning disabilities.

This extraordinary response wouldn’t have happened without Alexander sharing his brother’s story on such a prominent stage.

Alexander has done a great job of making sure his brother’s legacy lives on. It’s now time for the wider media to follow in his footsteps and platform the real and authentic stories of autistic individuals.

Stories of love, grief and happiness are a powerful reminder that we are human, too.

Matthew Lester

Theale, Berkshire

What does Trump want to do to our NHS?

It is deeply ironic that Donald Trump is seeking to open our NHS to American health companies (“Is Keir Starmer about to trade his principles for Trump’s friendship?”, Monday 20 January).

Of all higher-income countries, the US has the lowest life expectancy at birth, and the highest death rate for avoidable or treatable conditions.

In addition, it also has the highest maternal and infant mortality rates; 80 per cent of maternal deaths in the US are thought to be preventable.

According to the Harvard Business Review, "the US has the worst performing health system among all high-income countries, lagging behind France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Australia”.

This is, in part, driven by the US opioid crisis, with many of the poor and desperate seeking to treat health problems with over-the-counter painkillers. The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention described the overdoses from painkillers as an "epidemic", which has now only been exacerbated by the meteoric rise of Fentanyl.

Surely, President Trump ought to focus his attention on healthcare in the United States before he starts thinking about the UK?

His government’s efforts would be better focused on the needs of fellow Americans. Surely their goal is not just to make money for pharmaceutical companies?

Andrew Milroy

Address supplied

Wrong man for the wrong job

Keir Starmer’s nomination of Peter Mandelson to be the US ambassador will prove to be an intensely controversial and divisive political decision (“White House confirms Mandelson to be accepted as ambassador”, Wednesday 29 January).

Despite President Trump having now allowed Mandelson to take up his post, I believe that it will harm British interests in the United States, giving Trump four years in which to humiliate the new ambassador – and our country. Mandelson and Starmer will now re-enact the role of Ben Bolt's Sweet Alice, with hair so brown who wept with joy when he gave her a smile and trembled with fear at his frown.

The decision to nominate Mandelson received no scrutiny in parliament. This reflects poorly on British diplomacy and democracy alike.

Richard Heller

London SE1

Policy of self-destruction

I’m no eco-warrior, but the government’s plans to expand our airports are insane (“Anger as Reeves' support for third Heathrow runway sparks climate backlash”, Wednesday 29 January).

With our skies already chock-a-block with polluting aircraft, perhaps it is time that leisure flights be restricted to two, or even one, per person per year. And how many business flights are strictly necessary? Have these people not heard of Zoom, or Teams?

We should focus transport investment on railways and ferries – or we will simply continue to contribute to our self-destruction.

Dr Anthony Ingleton

Sheffield

Democracy is only as good as its voters

While it may seem shocking that a large proportion of Generation Z has apparently lost faith in democracy, it does bear considering that any democracy is only as good as the quality of its electorate (“If Gen Z has given up on democracy, we’re in even more trouble than we thought”, Tuesday 28 January).

This may mean that this generation of digital natives have little faith in themselves to be able to steer the nation through the hazards of an uncertain future.

I suspect the issue is more that they have no confidence in their forebears to make the right decisions for the future of the planet – and, given where we are right now, both nationally and globally, you have to have some sympathy with that perspective.

Julian Self

Wolverton, Buckinghamshire

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