I found myself in agreement with Julian Coman’s article (Starmer has a huge opportunity – but he must be bolder if he is to reset British politics, 24 August), although doubtless there will be those who will urge caution, citing the Corbyn years as a salutary lesson against stoking the ire of the Tory client press and alienating those who still think they have more to lose than gain through a fundamental change to the social contract.
However, this assumes an “all or nothing” approach to engaging in socialist or social democratic solutions. It is also based on the doubtful premise that Keir Starmer can be as easily demonised as Jeremy Corbyn and his coterie. The idea of redistributive social justice, including public control of utilities, is popular and is viewed as a pragmatic responses to national crisis in much the same way as it was in 1945. There is a clear opportunity to present it as such, rather than as the dogmatic pursuit of ideology. The idea already had some traction in 2017 and indeed 2019. With private profits running rampant and the prospect of significant and widespread food and fuel poverty looming, its time has surely come.
A radical programme of social, economic and political reform is one that the party of Labour needs not only to support but lead on. Otherwise, what is its purpose?
Ian Fraser
Tregynon, Powys
• Julian Coman joins up several of the dots in his article, but I think he underplays the true nature of the challenges we face in the 21st century.
For a progressive politics to be electable, it needs to say something concrete and credible about climate change, the housing crisis, flexible and casualised employment, education, the food system, biodiversity loss, transport and more besides. This shopping list of issues may seem broad and unfocused, but we need a political narrative that shows how they are all connected.
The worst excesses of Thatcherism do need to be undone, but not to re-fight the battles of the 1970s. The less timid politics that Julian Coman talks about is going to be essential for a safe and just future.
Gavin Killip
Oxford
