On the eighth anniversary of the Grenfell tragedy ( 14 June), I read that a new front door for the House of Lords has cost £9.6m; the budget in 2013 for the Grenfell Tower refurbishment was £9.7m. Notwithstanding inflation in the interim, that sums up for me the state of governance in 21st-century Britain.
Bill Wolmuth
West Ealing, London
• Gulls “are not naturally urban dwellers” writes Richard Ellis (Letters, 15 June), but neither are we. We’ve adapted to urban life, as have some gulls and other wild species. He complains of the mess created by gulls, but most of the mess in urban areas is generated by people.
Roger Downie
Glasgow
