Letters

SIR – People have the right to strike , but they do not have the right to prevent others from earning a living. Those who suffer financially as a result of strikes and lose wages should also have a right, the right to claim compensation from those who call a strike. I would like to see this right set in law. Trevor Jones SIR – Thanks to the rail strikes I have been forced to cancel a long-awaited hospital appointment. This will no doubt put me back to the bottom of the waiting list. Philip Jordan SIR – In this country we now we have a union demanding money with menaces. When did it become an acceptable thing to hurt people in order to get something you want? David Winter SIR – I served in the Metropolitan Police for 32 years. I have spent the last 10 years working in the rail industry. As more details emerge of the demands being made by the RMT union I can see dangerous parallels. Until 2010 policing was adequately funded and largely effective. … [Read more...] about Letters: Those harmed financially by strikes should have the right to claim compensation from unions

Close...Winifred Wagner (L) was devoted to Adolf Hitler (Image: GETTY) Sign up for FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info The genocidal dictator adored Hastings-born Winifred Wagner and they remained close all his life. Hitler was also a devotee both of Wagner’s music and his anti-Semitic writings. Related articles Adolf Hitler’s fear of illness revealed in doctor’s letters Alan Turing's 'miracle' secret mission that foiled Hitler’s invasion His January 1933 note said, ominously, that he was involved in “difficult and hard work” – days later he swept to power as Chancellor, which led to the Second World War and the murder of six million Jews by Nazi Germany and its … [Read more...] about Newly released letters show Adolf Hitler’s passion for Wagner’s music

SIR – I have major concerns about the rail strikes precisely because I am a blue-collar trade unionist. We need more staff on the railways. A visible staff presence is vital for reassuring lone passengers. Striking can only jeopardise such a positive agenda. Mick Lynch, the secretary-general of the union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), would be on infinitely stronger ground were he to press the Government on the imperative of major capital investment in rail infrastructure. His members would win. The country would win. John Barstow SIR – The leaders of the RMT should study closely the picture of Arthur Scargill (June 22), the former miners’ union president, on the picket line on Tuesday. Maybe it will remind them of what he and the National Union of Mineworkers did for coalmining. They should also recall what demarcation did for the docks and shipbuilding, compared to the success of industries where multiskilling is now prevalent. A O H Lewis SIR – … [Read more...] about Letters: Union strikes can only hamper the reforms needed on the rail network

SIR – The Wakefield and Tiverton by-election results , following on from the North Shropshire result last December, are the latest warning from voters that Boris Johnson must go if the Conservative Party is to avoid a 1997-style election disaster. Only swift and decisive action by the Cabinet can save the party from annihilation – and the country from Labour and the Liberal Democrats. Terry Smith SIR – The by-election losses for the Conservative Party were of such a scale that even Boris Johnson’s most loyal supporters must now realise how toxic he has become. Oliver Dowden did the right thing by resigning, and it is time that the Prime Minister did the same – voluntarily or otherwise. Kim Potter SIR – It was interesting to watch the new MP for Tiverton, Richard Foord, followed by Liberal Democrat leader, Sir Ed Davey, on television on Friday. Mr Foord gave Boris Johnson both barrels, effectively calling him a liar and announcing: “The Lib Dems are coming.” … [Read more...] about Letters: Conservatives must face the fact that their biggest problem is now Boris Johnson

SIR – Boris Johnson was very happy to receive the credit for his party’s success in the 2019 general election, but is not prepared to accept the blame for the two disastrous by-election results just suffered . Those members who did not support him in the recent vote of confidence have the solution in their hands. They should advise the Chief Whip that they will be abstaining in all parliamentary votes until he resigns. They would be doing the country a great service. Donald Sutherland SIR  – I commend this explanation of integrity to the Prime Minister. It is taken from the leadership handbook of the Rifles Regiment. “Integrity is the value without which one cannot be a true leader of men. It means that a leader must be genuine and utterly sound, be honest to himself and others and have no trace of hypocrisy. It involves taking responsibility for things that are his fault. It means not betraying a trust, even when it may now be an accepted part of civil society’s culture … [Read more...] about Letters: If Boris Johnson won’t accept the by-election verdict, then Tory MPs must force him out

SIR – Has the leadership of the Tory party not noticed the unmistakable fact that, when they are conservative, the people vote for them, and when they are not, they don’t? Andy Tuke SIR – If Conservative Party rebels change the 1922 Committee rules to remove Boris Johnson, democracy is done for. They lost the Brexit vote in 2016 and lost the recent attempt to oust Mr Johnson by fair democratic ballots, and both should be respected. Gill Broadbent SIR – The Prime Minister may not want to “undergo some sort of psychological transformation”, but those who voted for a Conservative government already have. Philip Hall SIR – The remarks from Boris Johnson about serving for two or three terms as prime minister are reminiscent of James Callaghan stepping from his plane on his return from abroad in 1979 with a smile on his face, inviting the headline: “Crisis? What crisis?” Buffoonery and joking will impress no one, least of all Tory voters. Let us hope that the Tory … [Read more...] about Letters: With or without Boris Johnson, it’s Conservative policies that attract votes

In case you missed an important event in the golfing world, the Saudi government is funding a league in opposition to the Professional Golfers Association. Headed by former champion Greg Norman, the group offers millions in winnings, buying the support of a number of golfers who have left the PGA for the Saudi association, known as LIV. These renegade golfers, who include Phil Mickelson, seem to have developed short memories, forgetting Saudi Arabia's association with terrorism, of which the killing of American journalist Jamal Khashoggi remains in our memories. So, before these golfers try to rewrite history to free their consciences, let's admit — it's blood money. We should shun them all. MICHAEL PREBLE photographer Harahan … [Read more...] about Letters: Saudi golf tour pays ‘renegade’ golfers with ‘blood money’

Our most important election in years is coming up this fall. We have an opportunity to choose a new senator for Louisiana. We can do so much better than John N. Kennedy. "Foghorn Leghorn" may be humorous at times, but to equate him with a buffoon would giving the buffoon a head start in an IQ race. We truly need someone who not only represents us as a state but who doesn't embarrass us. Though I am avowed independent and have voted on both sides of the aisle, there can be no question that we can do better than this wazzock. Please ascribe to the "anybody but Kennedy" platform this November. We deserve someone better than the straight man of that egghead chick in Looney Tunes. DOUG JOUBERT teacher New Orleans … [Read more...] about Letters: Vote anybody but Kennedy, defend Louisiana’s dignity

SIR – Your Leading Article ( June 28 ) is a salutary reminder of the need to revisit the call in last year’s defence review for “a modern army that is more agile, more integrated and more expeditionary”, achieved through digitisation rather than numbers. While digital transformation remains relevant, the need to refocus on our European backyard puts the spotlight firmly on numbers – particularly the plan to limit the Army to 73,000 regulars and 30,000 reserves, with a commensurate reduction in heavy armour. Four months on from Russia’s invasion of a sovereign nation – and given Boris Johnson’s cheerleading for Ukraine at the G7 meeting, as well as Nato’s decision to increase high-readiness forces to 300,000 – the credibility of Britain’s contribution to thwarting Vladimir Putin’s ambitions is at stake. However dire the economic outlook, the Government must reorder its defence priorities. This will include: reversing Army personnel cuts so that at least one full-sized armoured … [Read more...] about Letters: Russian aggression highlights the need to restore Army manpower

SIR – Although it may be theoretical at present, I would be interested to know what an insurance premium for a cyclist might be under the system proposed (Tim Franey, Letters, June 27) . I find myself sceptical of both drivers’ and cyclists’ groups as they argue about who is at fault for various conflicts. I could, however, trust an actuarial calculation of risk, expressed as the cold, hard cost for insuring a cyclist. A comparison of the annual average premiums might prove illuminating. Adam Herrick SIR – Many cyclists are fully insured, my own annual premium being almost as much as my car insurance. I would also gladly display a bicycle licence plate were it the law, but how would such legislation be enforced – and how would it reach the children and young adults who use bikes for fun and exercise but often cause mayhem on footpaths as well as local roads? Rosie Harden-Vane SIR – Tim Franey writes to suggest that cycles should carry number plates. But what … [Read more...] about Letters: Make cyclists have insurance and number plates, and ban headphones