Gas price rises show that we need to invest in home-grown clean energy

Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng leaves Downing Street (Reuters)

We wait with bated breath to hear the outcome from the business secretary’s crisis talks with energy suppliers and operators over the weekend following the rise in wholesale gas prices, which put ever greater numbers of consumers at risk of fuel poverty as we head into the colder months.

This latest chapter in the long-running saga over grid volatility and price increases only serves to demonstrate the critical importance of investing in a decentralised, home-grown clean energy system to balance distribution and stabilise the grid over the long term.

Phil Thompson

CEO and Managing Director at Balance Power

Maternity care

You report today more than £8bn has been lost due to failed maternity services.

I imagine some of this is fines paid by trusts, which is rather counterproductive since it impacts on future care delivery, but in the last 15 years, has anyone heard of anyone in charge being disciplined or sacked?

What, if any, are the consequences of incompetence?

Dr Anthony Ingleton

Sheffield

Amazon’s tax bill

In “confronting” Jeff Bezos on Amazon’s minuscule UK tax payments, who does Boris Johnson think he is fooling other than Tory backbenchers and the usual sycophants?

Does he not realise that as the world’s richest man, Bezos got there by running rings round the likes of Johnson?

Is it really the case there is absolutely nothing the UK government can do to reverse a situation whereby Amazon and their ilk seem to determine just how much – ie, how little – they are prepared to pay?

Ian Wingfield

Derbyshire

A progressive alliance

Nothing ever changes and the uneventful Lib Dem conference yet again confirmed their intention to stand in every single English and Welsh constituency at the next general election.

In 2019, many mistook it as a power play to Labour to push for a so-called progressive alliance. It never happened and the Tories won again.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that a progressive alliance is impossible. Politics is tribal. There is, perhaps, some hope that an informal alliance, like we saw in 1997, might happen but without a charismatic Labour leader a 97-seat majority is unrealistic.

The old parties are perhaps past their best and smaller parties have grown and been influential in recent years. I have a couple of friends considering joining the Renew Party. Perhaps we will see a progressive launch. Time will tell.

Alex Gunter

London

Contaminated relations with France

Much of the upset over the Aukus military alliance could have been avoided if the members had taken the obvious step of inviting France to be a part of it.

France’s proven nuclear expertise, political and military status and post-colonial presence in the South Pacific would have made the country a prime candidate for this partnership. Is it not too late for a “Fraukus” alliance to be set up?

Sadly this seems unlikely while the UK right-wing’s hatred of all things European continues to contaminate our relations with our close ally. The French can be excused for thinking that this is yet another instance of “perfidious Albion” seeking to build an Anglophone conspiracy against the rest of Europe.

Sam Boote

Nottingham