We should tax companies that made a mint during the pandemic to tackle the cost of living crisis

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

Surely, the fairest option would be to impose a one-off windfall tax on all companies that have enjoyed excess profits since 2020 (PA)

The cost of living increase needs to be tackled fairly, you say. Surely, the fairest option would be to impose a one-off windfall tax on all companies that have enjoyed excess profits since 2020, due to the nature of their business.

This could include delivery and e-commerce, PPE and testing companies, streaming and betting services, and pop-up, middleman businesses, often with friends in high places.

It wouldn’t need to be onerous: the tax could be equal to half the profits. I suggest Private Eye’s excellent “Profits of Doom” section would be a good place for the Treasury to start.

Eleanor Holloway

Ascot

Do more to help refugee children in Syria

Hats off to Bel Trew for shedding light on the persistent predicament and trauma endured by refugee children in Syria, in the midst of freezing streaks.

Vulnerable populations like the elderly, women, children and those with health conditions are more prone to suffer from frostbite, hypothermia, respiratory and cardiac conditions, especially if they lack proper clothing, food, medicines and shelters.

Time for the international community to confront the true cost of war and terrorism, lend helping hands to countries like Jordan and Lebanon with the highest numbers of refugees worldwide, and turn our world into a more safe, secure and inclusive place.

Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob

London

Singing from the Trump songbook

The comments about the acquittal of the Colston Four by the attorney general makes for chilling reading. Of those esteemed lawyers and politicians lining up to criticise Suella Braverman’s intervention, one that particularly held my attention was that made by one of the defence lawyers who described her comments as “Trumpian”.

This really sent a chill through me, as I have been thinking for some time that the prime minister, members of the cabinet and many Tory backbench MPs have clearly been singing from the Trump songbook.

The fact that commentators are suggesting that there is a real risk that Trump could be elected again in three years time is a huge concern to those of us who believe in democracy.

We should not be complacent. In the UK, there is a distinct possibility that we could go the way of the USA during Trump’s first term. Just look at the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill currently passing through parliament.

David Felton

Wistaston

No ... vak Djokovic

I sympathise with the Serbian tennis champion and his attitude to vaccination. If he had been vaccinated he would have had to change his name.

Vak Djokovic doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.

Charles Oglethorpe

Woking

The recent controversy over tennis star Novak Djokovic has further brought to light how national borders have changed since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Previously, a person may have been denied entry into a country, or had their visa cancelled due to international politics, where a border is closed due to potential governmental action and policy that would sour the relationship between two nations.

However, we are now witnessing a country such as Australia refuse people for medical reasons, with Djokovic being threatened with deportation. This further shows the monumental impact Covid has had on our world, and how it is constantly creating new complications, even at international borders, where people can now become displaced for their own medical choices.

George Warrior

Newcastle

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What is the percentage of positive tests?

Like many others, I have watched the daily number of positive Covid tests climb steadily upwards.

However, without knowing the total number of daily tests recorded – both positive and negative – it’s not possible to know whether it’s the number of tests or the number of positives that are increasing. We need to know the percentage of positives.

In Australia, both figures are available. Why don’t we do the same? Is the default position of this government on all issues, to obfuscate ahead of any anticipated need to dodge bad news, the reason for this?

John Simpson

Ross on Wye