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Can Labour breathe new life into our stagnant cultural institutions?

Letters to the editor: our readers share their views. Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

Saturday 13 July 2024 18:45 BST

It sounds as if at last we have in Lisa Nandy a politician who really understands the BBC’s importance (Reuters)

The animus against the BBC from Conservatives has for many years posed a major threat to the wide range of the broadcaster’s activities, and seriously undermined its political independence.

After an absurd revolving door of culture secretaries – many of whom have done their utmost during their short terms in office to permanently damage the BBC – it sounds as if at last we have in Lisa Nandy a politician who really understands its importance (not to mention the importance of the Arts Council England, and many other aspects of her brief).

Hopefully, she will be able to definitively reform the BBC’s corporate structure and governance in a way that will futureproof its independence, and secure its important role in our national life.

The BBC performs a wide variety of important functions – from producing light entertainment such as sitcoms and game shows to its facilitation of robust political debate, its fearless investigative journalism, its support and promotion of the higher arts, and its preservation of an enormous range of documentary and other coverage of British life, culture and history. In doing so, it presents our nation back to itself and to the wider world.

Gavin Turner

Norfolk

For the good of his country, Joe Biden must go

If Joe Biden insists on remaining a candidate, the Democrats could not only lose the presidency on 5 November but also the Senate (33 of the 100 seats will be at stake). God only knows what Donald Trump could accomplish with Congress (the House of Representatives and the Senate) and the Supreme Court under his thumb. Lots of (bad) things, I imagine!

For the good of his country, Joe Biden must become reasonable again and immediately leave the White House to Kamala Harris, for health reasons. The latter can try her luck at the presidency by choosing Michelle Obama as her running mate – or, better yet, let the latter face Trump directly in November.

A CNN/SSRS poll conducted from June 28 to 30 indicates that if Michelle Obama replaced candidate Joe Biden, she would collect 50 per cent of the vote compared to 39 per cent for Donald Trump. Enough to remain optimistic.

Sylvio Le Blanc

Address supplied

It’s good to have adults back in charge

So, after just one week in power, we have seen Labour make it clear that they mean business. Since they took the reins from the Tories, they have done the following:

Ordered an immediate assessment of the country’s public finances after 14 years of chaos.

Recommitted £3bn a year of military support for Ukraine.

Yvette Cooper and her team have started work on a new Border Security Command to smash criminal smuggling gangs.

Labour has announced that planning decisions for major infrastructure will now be made nationally rather than locally.

Restored mandatory housing targets to build 1.5 million homes, including affordable and council homes.

Created a National Wealth Fund to unlock economic investment.

Lifted the onshore wind ban to help make Britain an energy superpower.

Met with regional mayors to set out new devolution plans.

Begun talks with the BMA to end NHS strikes.

And held talks with water companies and will hold them to account for sewage dumping.

In two words: well done!

Geoffrey Brooking

Hampshire

Is the West inadvertently protecting Russia?

Russia targets and obliterates whatever it likes in Ukraine, whenever and wherever it wishes, and does so with devastating effect. Yet the West limits the extent to which the weaponry it donates to Ukraine may be used against legitimate targets within Russia – severely restricting the opportunities for Zelensky’s forces to target military assets used, or destined, for the destruction of Ukraine and its long-suffering people.

This perverse inequity means that Russia’s war machine enjoys, in effect, a degree of protection from the West – for which Russia is undoubtedly most grateful.

David Platts

Newark, Nottinghamshire

Enough election talk

It’s been less than a fortnight since we had a change of government, and already discussions have started about the 2029 election.

Please, for all our sakes, can we concentrate on the bit that happens between elections for a change? You know, running the country – the bit that actually matters?