Tories tell us ‘the plan is working’ – but do they really have one?

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

Foreign secretary and former PM David Cameron said voters should give the Tories more time (PA Wire)

I do wonder what on earth is in the mythical “plan” Rishi Sunak and his cabinet drone on about week after week – most recently the foreign secretary and former PM David Cameron.

The mantra that they trot out in answer to any question on why we should vote for another excruciating term of Tory government is that “the plan is working”, that following the so-called plan has helped us “turn a corner”, and the emptiest and most desperate of all: “we have a plan and Labour doesn’t”.

Part of this fanciful plan is that they have pinned their future success on sending desperate and vulnerable refugees on planes to Rwanda, going so far as to declare by statute that the country is safe simply because they say it is. Other than that one policy, nothing else seems to come to fruition (and that hasn’t really either).

Truth be told, the only plan that the Tories have is to hang on to political power by any means possible. They propagate a delusional story that the recent disastrous losses at local elections were, in fact, quite good for them. They have chosen to rely on and promote two pollsters who have forecast a future hung parliament for Labour, rather than the opinion of the majority of polls which predict a clear boost for Labour.

Rishi Sunak and his party are bereft of any plans for meaningful growth, but are determined to cling to power no matter the truth staring them in the face. Never mind the fact that they are haemorrhaging MPs. Never mind that the polls show a widening gap with Labour, who are way ahead.

Like Mr Micawber. they are blindly trusting in something “turning up” which will miraculously save them from annihilation. They are certainly not listening to the people of this country who have seen their living standards deteriorate dramatically under 14 years of Tory rule.

If Rishi Sunak had any honour left, he would give the country what it desperately needs and call an election without delay.

Kate Hall

Leeds

More Tory MPs should follow Natalie Elphicke’s example

The fact that the Tories have said so much about Natalie Elphicke since her defection simply proves how desperate they have become.

It also shows how worried they are at the prospect of even more defections from the Tories to Sir Keir Starmer’s changed Labour Party.

In which case, I appeal to Tory MPs and other disaffected Tories to put country before party and back Labour.

Geoffrey Brooking

Hampshire

Now is not the time for Labour infighting

I find the type of comment that Labour has become a fit home for politicians like Natalie Elphicke frankly ludicrous. She wanted to stick the knife into Sunak, and in the short term Starmer wanted to heap embarrassment on the Tories.

So when I hear John McDonnell criticising the leadership for the decision all I can think is that he should just hold his nose and keep quiet. Ultimately the most important thing is unity and winning the next election, not airing your long held dislike towards Keir Starmer and the move away from the hard left of the party

S L

Enfield

Gaza has a vaccine crisis

Palestinians will endure another stretch of death, destruction, dehumanisation and displacement. But what is also worrying is the lack of vaccinations for children. The closure of all crossings into Gaza will further jeopardise an already dire humanitarian situation.

Vaccination levels have obviously gone down since the outbreak of war. We are starting to witness outbreaks of once-rare diseases like measles, diphtheria, rubella, mumps and whooping cough, among others. When will the international community wake up to this tragedy?

Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob

London