It is now impossible for the average worker to live decently in this country

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The two contenders for PM are following the traditional Tory line that work pays, and slating those on benefits as idle, lazy, and lacking a good work ethic (Getty)

The two contenders for PM are following the traditional Tory line that work pays, and slating those on benefits as idle, lazy, lacking a good work ethic and so forth.

Sunak (“if there are hours to do ... people should have to take the job as opposed to just being able to stay on benefits”) and Truss (“incentives in the benefit system” need to change) are both completely wrong.

When a family with two working parents asks for financial advice because they cannot afford the combination of rising food and fuel prices, and are told to reduce their working hours so that they qualify for free school meals for their children, it’s clear that the real problem is that this government, due to many years of incompetence, has made it impossible for the average worker to live decently in this country.

That is why, even though the train strikes are currently causing us problems, I fully support those who are striking now and will do in the future.

Katharine Powell

Neston

Lazy and misguided

I agree with Salma Shah that a lazy and misguided trope was peddled by Liz Truss when she lauded “more graft” and said there was a lack of it in British workers.

In a grave cost of living crisis, it is surely not the time to reinforce this message, even if it was spoken in the past.

But there is no suggestion that she still does not adhere to that mindset – that workers have it in their power to boost productivity and the economy all on their own, without the necessary government back-up.

This is disingenuous and, for many hard-pressed people holding down numerous jobs just to make ends meet, insulting. The fact, too, that she has not tried to ameliorate her punitive message shows again that she holds entrenched views and will not factor in disagreement.

By all means, as Shah states, open up a valid conversation about work ethic or the lack of it. But this is a divisive question, and Truss would be sensible to wise up and not dumb down British workers at this grave economic and parlous time.

Judith A. Daniels

Great Yarmouth

War on greed

“Let’s fight a war on greed, not a war on poverty”. So wrote Paul Heaton on his brilliant “Acid Country” track. Maybe this is now finally happening with the striking workers.

Folk are rightly enraged at the energy and water companies, but let’s not allow the supermarket giants off the hook either. This is a chance to rally against the elite – the 2 per cent who own most of the wealth. For once, let them adapt to the society we the people want, as opposed to letting them create the society they want, while we go along with it like sheep.

Let’s start by abandoning big businesses, like Amazon, as well as supermarkets, and support local businesses whose owners simply want to make a decent living, as most of us do. Let’s end the constant demonising of the disabled and those on benefits and instead demonise the greed of the few, the tax dodgers.

Let’s be a happier population, like the Finnish or Icelandic, and be less influenced by high-tech ambition and greed.

Richard Whiteside

Halifax

Cop clean-up

Your headline “Officers to be sacked for racism and domestic abuse in a bid to clean up force” will have given many pause for thought.

Racism and domestic abuse should always, without question, have been sackable offences for our police. So should any other form of discrimination.

Further, no member of the police force should be allowed to retire with pension while under investigation.

Beryl Wall

London

Rules of the road

Alongside fining the transgressors, would it not be a good idea to encourage budding cyclists by bringing in Cycling Proficiency Schemes attached to every school?

Perhaps we might then raise future generations habituated to the proper rules of the road.

Margaret Adams

Keighley