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At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
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Your support makes all the difference.It has been suggested by some that the recent Supreme Court ruling was a victory for the establishment over the rights of the ordinary working class person. While not wishing to be an apologist for the establishment, nothing could be further from the truth.
Under successive Tory governments, access to justice for those without access to private wealth has been eroded to almost to a state of non-existence. It is only the existence of the Supreme Court in this country that can prevent or reverse serious injustices, miscarriages of justice and overstepping of the mark by our political leaders.
One only has to consider the many countries in the world where this is not the case. Where do the people of Xi Jinping’s China, Putin’s Russia, Kadyrov’s Chechnya, Modi’s India, Sisi’s Egypt, Assad’s Syria, and the many African dictators, not to mention those in the US whose Supreme Court is stuffed with political appointees, appeal for an unbiased and unpoliticised judgement?
G Forward
Stirling
Apologising to the Queen
It has been suggested that Boris Johnson should apologise for his unlawful prorogation of parliament, and for misleading the Queen.
But what would be the point?
If he did, I bet it would be with that customary smirk on his face and all his digits crossed.
Susan Alexander
South Gloucestershire
What about the High Court?
Will the three eminent judges of the High Court, who ruled Boris Johnson’s attempt to prorogue parliament lawful, including the Lord Chief Justice and the Master of the Rolls, now apologise for getting it completely wrong two weeks ago?
Dr John Doherty
Stratford-upon-Avon
State schools need to improve
Labour’s desire to abolish the private school system, which resurfaces periodically when they have no global agenda with which to occupy themselves, has nothing to do with equality. It is a mixture of social revenge and laziness. Whatever your thoughts about the public school system it is undeniable that they perform better than state schools. Instead of trying to hide this excellence by getting rid of it, surely it would be better as a benchmark to which to aspire.
Teachers’ salaries do not vary much between the two systems, nor does the heavy burden of work, which is on average around 50 hours per week. The difference is that the private sector is much less occupied with the onerous bureaucracy that is imposed on state schools, occupying an inordinate amount of time better spent in teaching. The greatest asset that the state schools have is the vocation and dedication of the teachers, but instead of being nurtured they are systematically abused by successive governments for whom counterproductive targets and meaningless or manipulated statistics take priority.
If the private school system is to be abolished, then first bring the state schools up to its high standards, rather than dragging everyone down to the lowest common denominator.
Better to have standards equally high than equally low.
Matt Minshall
Norfolk
Thomas Cook and the EU
Those British travellers left abroad due to the collapse of Thomas Cook must be thankful that the UK is still in the EU, although not for much longer, and the protection our membership affords.
Under the EU Package Travel Directive from 11 December 2015, tour operators have been required as of 1 July 2018 to ensure their customers are repatriated. The directive also provides travellers who have booked a package holiday with a refund before departure, in case a company files for bankruptcy.
This obligation aims to reduce the financial losses incurred by travellers and is yet another example of the benefits afforded by our membership of the EU, which many Brexiteers view as Brussels-imposed red tape.
Alex Orr
Edinburgh
Please, no general election
Surely no one – possibly not even Boris Johnson – is looking forward with pleasure to a general election in the run-up to Christmas. A cathartic Final Say referendum in the New Year, however, would be welcomed.
May I suggest that MPs get on and pass a new law to hold a second referendum? Please?
Helen Bore
Scalby
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