Suppressing protest at the coronation is not the only example of the Metropolitan police becoming increasingly politicised in their actions (“Met accused of siding with rightwing group in anti-drag act protest”, News).
The argument that officers sporting “thin blue line” badges are merely demonstrating camaraderie ignores criticisms of the content of that camaraderie. Even if the Met’s leadership wants to bury its head in the sand over the white nationalism connotations of the thin blue line in the US, it should ask itself whether the symbol is aligned with a police service for Londoners. For the whole point of the thin blue line avatar is it encapsulates the idea that police are society’s last defence against anarchy. It denotes force, not service.
Liz Fekete, director, Institute of Race Relations
London WC1
Sonia Sodha makes a very good point (“The police are curbing free speech, and it’s not just at the behest of the right”, Comment). The problem with the Public Order Act, and the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act before that, is not so much that these laws target one particular group of people, be they “wokerati” or rightwing extremists.
It’s that both acts confer the power on the executive branch of the state to radically restrict basic citizens’ and human rights, like the right to protest/free speech, without any further oversight by parliament or, indeed, even the courts. Separation of powers and the recognition of citizens’ rights are constitutional principles for a reason, the object being to protect citizens against just such abuses of power by the state as we have seen in the last few days. These kinds of policing laws should be the hallmark of authoritarian states, not of a democratic state like the UK.
Michel Bastian
Cologne, Germany
Beware political wreckers
Will Hutton is right to acknowledge the importance of political storytelling (“Biden knows it and so does Zelenskiy: success depends on telling the right story”, Comment). But the storyteller is just as important. It is remarkable how Biden has used his background as a lifelong professional politician to his advantage. In Britain and America, politicians are falling into two distinct camps: those who break things, and those who know how to clean up. Wrecking is a way of driving change, but wreckers rarely know when to stop.
Tom Parkin
Sheffield
On the wrong track
Mick Whelan, Aslef general secretary, says: “Whatever you might think about us [Aslef train drivers, presumably], “we did go to work when everybody else was on Zoom” (Business profile,). Everybody else? Well, apart from nurses; and paramedics; and refuse collectors; oh, and emergency electricians; and supermarket staff. Need I go on? If you wish to garner public support, Mr Whelan, start by recognising the risk to their own lives taken by many people, often for salaries well below their worth.
Jennifer Towland
Faringdon, Oxfordshire
I’ll tell you what’s moving…
I would like to inform Rachel Cooke that I am neither an algorithm, nor half dead nor stone hearted (“It was magnificent, it was ludicrous, and finally this necromancy was irresistible”, News).
I am moved by the report written by Gordon Brown on millions of people relying on food banks to top up inadequately low benefits (Comment). I am moved by the plight of thousands of people who are lonely because of austerity cuts causing libraries, swimming pools and youth centres to be closed (Yvonne Roberts, Comment).
I can think of many better ways of spending £200m-plus than on the coronation. How many leaking roofs on our schools and hospitals could have been repaired? With his income, why didn’t King Charles pay for the coronation himself?
Linda Theobald
London NW9
Coming clean on cobalt?
John Naughton reiterates the mantra that EVs use cobalt (“I’m glad you’ve bought an electric vehicle. But don’t pretend your conscience is clean”, the Networker, the New Review). Cobalt is also used to make airbags in cars, catalysts for the oil and chemical industries and several other industrial processes including drying agents for paints. So, yes, the conditions in the Democratic Republic of Congo need bringing to the fore, but this is a separate problem. Cobalt mining did not arouse such scrutiny until the oil industry started its fight against EVs.
Carol Dee
Paraparaumu, New Zealand
Oh, Vienna
Full marks to Kenan Malik for highlighting the fact that decent homes for all can be achieved (“If you think decent homes for all is an impossible dream, take a look at Vienna”, Comment). He could perhaps also have highlighted the fact that most pensioners in Vienna retire on 80% of their lifetime pay; that the Viennese have access to a superb public transport system on which an annual season ticket costs €365 (£319), ie €1 a day; that well-run care homes are affordable to ordinary people.
It can be done, but not, I am afraid, by this UK government.
David Gardner
Leicester
Training a top priority
In response to last week’s article on the government’s skills policy (“Tory youth training policy is a right royal mess”, Business), equipping young people with the skills needed to gain employment is a top priority. We are continuing to roll out first-rate technical courses, T-levels, to support more young people gain the skills they need to progress in jobs with higher wages.
More people under 25 are also turning to apprenticeships, and now make up over half of all who take this route. Around 92% of apprentices go into work or further training, with 90% in sustained employment, and we’re working with Ucas so people can apply for apprenticeships alongside degrees.
The comment suggested the apprenticeship levy is “complicated and misused”, yet its success has helped us grow the apprenticeship budget to £2.7bn a year by 2024-25. In the financial year 2021/22, 99.6% of the budget was spent on supporting employers to benefit from the high-quality training that apprenticeships offer. It is vital the next generation feels confident in the training available to help them forge a thriving and fulfilling career.
Robert Halfon MP, minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education
London SW1
