I joined the Royal Navy in 1951. I wanted to see the world and became a leading writer in the Royal Navy. I served for 10 years. Naval experience taught me how to manage a ship’s office (“Plummeting morale, low pay, unjust wars. It’s no wonder young people resist joining up”, Comment). On leaving the service, I married, and soon found employment in civvy street, including as an office manager, senior personnel manager in the BBC, a senior industrial relations officer in Bradford and a tenant involvement officer. Not bad for a young Scouser.
Every aspect and success of my working life was founded on what the Royal Navy drilled into me all those years ago. Perhaps the military recruiting services should speak to some of today’s advertising companies?
Tom Clinton
Cononley, Keighley, Bradford
Martha Gill’s article outlining the problems in recruiting people for the armed forces rightly lists the practical reasons why youngsters do not join up.
Of only two people whom I have known who have served in the army, both have been killed in action. One, aged 18, in Northern Ireland, and the other in his 30s in Basra.
Life is tough in the armed forces and lethal combat sometimes yields lethal results. Maybe young people do not wish to sign their lives away. Is this individualistic?
Teresa Rodrigues
Crediton, Devon
Stand up to the bullies
The issues raised in Jo Phoenix’s judgment should ring alarm bells with leaders of political parties, which, like universities, are bound by the Equality Act to treat members and employees fairly (“Vindictive, cowardly leaders bowed to the gender bullies and failed Jo Phoenix”).
The judgment is clear: belief in the material, social and political salience of sex is not bigoted, and organisations that facilitate the denigration and harassment of those who hold such a belief are engaging in unlawful discrimination. Yet in our parties – Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Green party – gender-critical members continue to face a hostile environment, including smears, abuse, intimidation and administrative attempts to justify or engineer our expulsion.
The Labour party now explicitly supports upholding the single-sex exceptions in the Equality Act, but those who express their support for this policy still face vilification. In a recent act of self-harm, the party suspended its local byelection candidate in Hackney just days before the election, after apparently mistaking her support for women’s rights (Labour policy) with transphobia.
Until party leaders find the courage to stand up to the gender totalitarians, incidents like this – which both damage parties’ credibility and leave them legally vulnerable – are bound to continue.
Lynn Alderson, Labour Women’s Declaration; Zoe Hatch and Emma Bateman, Green Women’s Declaration; Zoe Hollowood, Liberal Voice for Women
Not easy being a Brexiter
Thank you for explaining the requirement for border checks on imports from the EU (“‘It’s impossible to plan’: UK importers braced for storm at ports amid new Brexit checks”).
This had been puzzling me. Why would we need such checks (with deregulation, EU safety standards have become higher than ours)? But the explanation raises more questions. One of the requirements – “World Trade Organization rules state that trade borders for the EU need to match those of the rest of the world, so as not to give the bloc a trading advantage” – creates a dilemma for our rulers.
Either they comply with the WTO’s rules, thus removing any potential advantage for the EU but subjecting our nation to the dictates of foreigners. Or they flounce out of the WTO’s jurisdiction in the interests of sovereignty, thereby allowing the hated EU privileged access to our own markets. It’s not easy being a Brexiter.
Jenny Woodhouse
Bath
Having the hots for pineapple
I agree with much of what Tomé Morrissy-Swan had to say about serving up pineapple with just about anything (“From fry-ups to pizzas, the pineapple’s critics are eating their words”, Comment). My one complaint is that it is nearly always served cold. Yuck! As someone who is fussy about which cold food is served with hot, roasting or frying your pineapple with the other ingredients greatly increases the joy of having it on your plate.
Ian Hogg
North Leigh, Witney, Oxfordshire
People in care homes read too
Thank you, Rowan Moore, for the first sentence in your article (“‘They don’t just stay in a room waiting to die’: new buildings giving older people beauty, freedom and dignity”): “If you have friends or relatives in care homes or live in one yourself...”
It shouldn’t be wonderful to have a writer who recognises that the older people who live in care homes might still be able to read the Observer, but sadly it is. Politicians are always talking about “Your mum waiting for a hip operation” or “Looking for a care home for your dad”.
I wish they would realise that these mums and dads are not just appendages to their middle-aged children but people in their own right – and people who have a vote.
Rosemary Chamberlin
Bristol
Theresa May’s hypocrisy
Theresa May’s concern for the welfare of modern slavery victims is very much to be welcomed (“Theresa May to confront Home Office over ‘appalling’ secret policy on trafficking victims”).
But what hypocrisy from someone who, as a former home secretary, introduced the “hostile environment” against immigrants – complete with “Go Home” billboards – which led to the Windrush scandal, whose injustices are still being felt. Her own appalling record should neither be forgotten nor forgiven.
Danny Krumbein
Liverpool
Wombling free
After reading Peter Conrad’s review of Noel Malcolm’s book on the brutal treatment of homosexuals in the Middle Ages, I’m not sure I’ll ever see Great Uncle Bulgaria the same way again (“Vulgarised in English, Bulgaria turned into buggery…”).
Eoin Dillon
Mount Brown, Dublin
