Regarding Gaby Hinsliff’s article (Two men made mistakes over Mandelson – only one has lost his job. That should haunt Starmer, 24 April), most would concur that the prime minister has the most important job in the country. It is also one of the most demanding jobs, if it is to be done well. So would it not be better to help Keir Starmer instead of trying to hound him out of office for an error made in December 2024 that has been corrected?
Would it not be better to support him in the job we elected him to do instead of him having to spend time and energy defending himself against his implacable adversaries? Would that not be preferable to replacing him with someone chosen by a small contingent of the elected party? Can we not learn from the chaos caused by the last government in switching prime ministers?
Michael Goodhart
Grantchester, Cambridge
• “An atmosphere of pressure”, Sir Olly Robbins (Report, 21 April)? Isn’t that what you’re paid to work in? All you had to do was go to your boss, the cabinet secretary, and get him to go to the prime minister to call them off. Tell a police officer, an A&E nurse or a children’s social worker about your “atmosphere of pressure”.
Nigel Gann
Lichfield, Staffordshire
• To those salivating at the prospect of Andy Burnham’s speedy return to the Commons via a byelection (Analysis, 24 April), I say remember what happened to Patrick Gordon Walker back in 1964. Designated foreign secretary in Harold Wilson’s government following the general election, even though he had inconveniently lost his Smethwick seat, he then failed to win a byelection in a “safe seat” and had to resign his post. Are there any safe Labour seats in the current political climate?
John Marriott
Lincoln
• Gaby Hinsliff supplies a powerful indictment of Keir Starmer, but she fails to take account of the intolerable pressure that he is under at this time – he’s an Arsenal fan.
Paul Francis
Much Wenlock, Shropshire
• All this confected fuss about the appointment of Peter Mandelson. Has no one ever heard the saying “Set a thief to catch a thief”?
Pat Makinson
Ramsgate, Kent
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