Sunak must learn that mean spirits make poor leaders

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The answer is to rebalance society so that people here, as in other countries, have a decent standard of living (AP)

David Platt’s recent letter to The Independent, on rights and benefits, demonstrates the prevalence of a particularly shallow perspective on strategic thinking and planning in today’s society.

He refers to the NHS as being particularly in need of the money that is paid to pensioners. It is not the pension triple lock that is the problem, it is the attitude towards paying for the society we want.

Robbing Peter Pensioner to pay Patient Paul is a poorly thought-out strategy. As we are being made acutely aware under a Tory government of low taxation that requires us all to pay more and more, for less and less. Having cut any sort of investment for the last 14 years and counting, the current state of our nation makes a show of continuing the triple lock. Like everything Tory it is less, dressed up as more.

Pensioners have a unique position amongst the population in that they are locked into decisions they and our government made 30 or 40 years ago. Many (most) are at the lower end of the quality of life afforded by pension income. Moreover, they have suffered over years and years of financial crisis and seen the value of savings and investments fall in real terms. This can be closely allied with the fall in overall economic performance and investment that has created the very conundrum of Tory policy, the idea that cutting spend makes you better off.

Pensioners, like most adults, pay tax on income above the appropriate tax thresholds and pay VAT on everything that they purchase. The more income a pensioner has the more tax they pay.

NHS spending enables many doctors and other professionals to save for a comfortable retirement well above the state pension provision. This doesn’t mean that they don’t need the state pension; they have paid for it, and it should not be withdrawn. The whole purpose of the triple lock is a long-term attempt to restore the value of years of decline, that were seen as unfair and harsh on those with less income.

No, Mr Platts – the answer to our problems is not to take away from the poorer parts of society or those who have worked all their adult lives to be able to have a decent retirement. The answer is to re-balance society so that people here, as in other countries, have a decent retirement, access to social services, good health care in all disciplines, and the national infrastructure to support wealth creation. The sort that benefits the less well-off, as well as those with the wealth to finance it.

It’s something Rishi Sunak could learn himself, mean spirits make poor leaders.

Michael Mann

Shrewsbury

Walk on by

l am quite obviously female in appearance. I am also quite obviously elderly in appearance. I take offence at neither of these, although I have experienced discrimination and abuse on both counts.

I have inadvertently encountered a pro-Palestinian march in central London and voluntarily changed my route. Why ever not? Who chooses to become embroiled in a march, in a large body of excitable people, whatever their cause?

If a police officer had advised me to change my route in such circumstances, identifying me as an elderly female, I would like to think I’d have been grateful for his advice and concern for my safety – despite the Met’s appalling record on protecting women and despite centuries of institutional, global misogyny.

Beryl Wall

Chiswick

Truly regrettable

It is appalling that a policeman used the phrase “openly Jewish” when trying to move Gideon Falter away from a ceasefire-in-Gaza march. But it’s also ludicrous to suggest that “being Jewish” would be provocative.

There have always been lots of “openly Jewish” people at the marches calling for a ceasefire, many carrying signs like “Jews say ceasefire now” or “Not in our name”. A quick Google search will show these and many more.

The whole drive to portray these marches as somehow anti-Jewish is truly regrettable.

Bob Banks

Grindleford

Sowing the seeds

The indiscriminate use of force in Gaza has only resulted in sowing the seeds of hatred and vengeance amongst future generations. Since 7 October, we have been overwhelmed with horrible scenes of mass graves, torture, starvation, famine, and wanton destruction of civilian infrastructure. These represent a humanitarian hellscape, an intolerable denial of basic human rights, and flagrant transgressions of the most fundamental codes of international humanitarian law.

The continuing failure to reach a humanitarian ceasefire will erode trust in international organisations and Western governments and will push more people toward the abyss of oblivion.

Munjed Farid Al Qutob

London

A consequence of the system

There has been considerable criticism of Labour and its stance on various issues recently. But we need to remember that this is an election year. Contrary to widespread belief, the election will be won by the votes of 30 to 40 per cent of middle-ground voters. Established right or left voters will, in the main, make no difference.

Unfair though it seems, policies need to be directed at winning this centre ground (which will include floating voters, "red wall" voters etc). I believe the centre ground does not really want radical policies. Keir Starmer clearly understands this – hence his care on Brexit-related issues (the latest being the youth mobility scheme), taxation etc. Whilst this may seem like “watering down” Labour’s approach, that is the consequence of the electoral system we have.

Steve Barnes

Kent

Too sweet for me

There is growing concern that the use of pesticides to protect UK sugar crops from viruses is damaging local wildlife and in particular, bees.

Bees are prolific pollinators needed by much of our food production and to support biodiversity.

Meanwhile, sugar is known to be damaging to our health and a major cause of obesity and dental decay, particularly among the young.

So why is the government confounding its own experts and allowing the continued use of these pesticides? The only answer is that the food industry is wholly controlled by British Sugar, a subsidiary of Associated British Foods, a major producer of much of the sugar-rich food known to be damaging to our health.

Lower sugar crop yields mean higher prices. Lower pollination levels mean less natural food generally. It’s a simple choice, isn’t it?

Farmers growing sugar crops can move to other and more beneficial arable crops relatively easily and shed the monopolistic shackles of British Sugar.

Surely, reducing sugar consumption by natural means cannot be ignored.

David Hill

Waterlooville