Booking train seats in advance would be useful practice for running the economy or foreign affairs, Mr Corbyn

Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

Jeremy Corbyn, in his video recorded on the floor of the 11am London to Newcastle train on 11 August

For the last decade and more, the nature of my work has caused me to use the rail network several times a week travelling throughout the UK. I have never not had a seat – simply because I book ahead online. Reserved seats are frequently not taken by those who have booked them – or had them booked for them – they are not left empty, but used by those who discover, Mr Corbyn that they are available.

There are peak times on certain routes when trains require people to stand – this is not surprising. Booking in advance, and using my senior railcard, means that I get some incredibly cheap deals. Nothing is perfect but it works well for me, Jeremy.

Someone who aspires to be prime minister should learn to plan ahead – it will help when dealing with trickier issues like the economy and foreign affairs – and avoid taking spurious opportunities to make cheap political points. I thought that was the kind of spin that he abhorred in those who preceded him.

Graham Powell Cirencester

Can we please give the Labour Party credit for being interested enough to care about the future of the party? This is a battle between those who believe in Tory-lite versus those who believe in a more egalitarian society. This is an honourable position to be in, whichever side prevails.

In contrast, the Conservative Party has no apparent interest in the one-nation world view of the mid-20th century, and has sold out to the City spivs and get-rich-quick merchants. If I was a Conservative supporter, I would be weeping into my tea.

Joanna Pallister Durham

Why would anyone join the medical profession?

I read with dismay your short article (Saturday) on the optometrist jailed for failing to spot a life-threatening disease.

Whilst this is an appalling tragedy and my thoughts are with the boy and his family, our ability as a nation to see humans for what they are, human and fallible, and therefore too desperately seek blame, horrifies me. Why would anyone want to put themselves in a position where your employers are threatening constant cuts, privatisation (as in this case) and personal liability? We are creating, or actually running headlong to, a less caring, more selfish society.

Laura Dawson Harpenden

A Brexit tax

James Moore's article (“There will be a price to pay for Brexit”, Friday) is wise to caution about the illusion of a Brexit retail sales boost. I for one am contemplating whether I should buy a new car soon before the weakened pound leads to a significant hike in prices. In our interconnected world, multinational companies price their goods in either dollars or euros. However you voted in the referendum you are going to be paying a Brexit tax for many years I fear.

Robin White Oakley, Basingstoke

Homecoming heroes?

I nearly spat my water out when I heard Theresa May announcing a homecoming parade for our Olympians. “It will be a celebration fit for heroes – and rightly so, because that is exactly what they are,” she said.

Seriously, heroes?

Let's be honest for a moment, it’s a little much to call someone who can punch hard, run fast or jump into a swimming pool creating the smallest of ripples a hero.

I admit I was one of those who was relieved when the Olympics finally finished; it’s been practically impossible to avoid for the last two months. I wrongly assumed once we’d endured the seemingly endless closing parade, which involved some 60 nationalities and the Japanese prime minister in his Super Mario outfit parading around the stadium, that we were done with the whole Olympic subject – well for the next four years anyway!

So I was more than disappointed to discover we’re now hosting a homecoming parade for Team GB’s triumphant Olympic and Paralympic stars in Manchester; and a further event is to be held in London.

Come on Ms May, I appreciate you’re new to your job, but do us all a favour and stop calling these sports people heroes.

Chris Geiger

The cost of Hinkley Point

I am unable to understand how the most expensive power station we have ever seen is a sensible option (“Case against Hinkley Point gets stronger after yet another critical report”, Friday). We are a small country with a mostly benevolent climate and hardly any heavy industry, yet Hinkley will provide only 7 per cent of our electricity (yes, electricity not energy: it is a much smaller portion of total energy needed). More worrying is the high price of the electricity it will generate. Given the track record of energy companies this will set the minimum future price and saddle our descendents with high energy costs. All this for just 7 per cent of our electricity.

Ashley Herbert Huddersfield

Inconvenient reality of Scottish finances

The First Minister’s high-profile manoeuvring to engineer a second Scottish independence referendum on the back of the Brexit result has reached a moment of truth following the release of the latest Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) figures. Scotland’s £14.8bn deficit clearly is bad news for her overriding ambition, yet the Scottish National Party line is to try to ignore it as an irrelevance, just as they do any inconvenient reality.

Nicola Sturgeon has been trying to convince Scotland that we should turn our backs on the UK in order to secure EU membership. Yet the EU would insist Scotland reduces its deficit to less than 3 per cent of GDP. Ours now stands at 9.5 per cent, higher even than Greece. Does Ms Sturgeon plan to tell the EU that their rule is not relevant when it comes to Scotland, or instead will she embark on a round of deep austerity cuts and tax hikes to try to get the figure into line?

It is surely time for the First Minister to come clean. Will she publicly set aside any thought of another referendum in the foreseeable future, or instead tell us honestly that she plans to pursue independence at any cost?

Keith Howell West Linton, Scottish Borders