The House of Lords should be a-leaping into oblivion

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

Stuffing the House of Lords with a raft of new nominations is a funny way for Labour to fulfil a pre-election pledge to abolish it (“Labour to get Lords boost as new peers set to be announced”, Friday 20 December).

With around 800 members, the House of Lords is the only upper house of any bicameral parliament in the world to be larger than its lower house. It is also the second-largest legislative chamber in the world, behind the National People’s Congress of China.

It is incredible that as we move into 2025, we are still using a system that allows the government to appoint unelected cronies, donors and friends.

This is despite Keir Starmer, before becoming prime minister, pledging that he would get rid of the “indefensible” chamber in his first term of government, and that this would be replaced with an elected chamber.

Anas Sarwar, Labour’s leader in Scotland, also similarly promised that the party would scrap the House of Lords, noting that “it is an institution that has no place in 21^st-century politics”.

It is patently clear that Labour has no intent to abolish the House of Lords, and as with so many other promises made prior to coming into government, this pledge has quickly melted away.

Alex Orr

Marchmont, Edinburgh

Labouring under a misapprehension

Since the election, the government has made elementary errors, which I think are due to the years spent in opposition and out of power (“All of Starmer’s ‘betrayals’ and U-turns as Labour faces Waspi women backlash”, Wednesday 18 December).

They haven’t yet developed the necessary skills to deliver change in practical terms. This has resulted in them alienating many of those who voted them into office. Suddenly removing the winter fuel allowance and refusing compensation to Waspi women are just two examples. In addition, they have targeted employers with increased national insurance contributions.

Keir Starmer must remember where the money is. It’s time to tax the rich.

David Felton

Wistaston, Crewe

The terrible cost of cuts to mental health services

I am in complete agreement with the many statements made about the disastrous state of the so-called mental health services by the NHS (“Revealed: NHS spent more than £2bn on private mental health hospitals last year”, Friday 20 December).

My son was diagnosed with schizophrenia in the early 2000s. Two years later, he was then diagnosed with affective schizoid disorder.

His care coordinators always tried their best to provide effective care in a poorly resourced and inadequately funded service. With their help, he completed his education and achieved an undergraduate degree.

In 2014, he became psychotic again. During his relapse, there was no one available to provide help and assistance from the community mental health team. Eventually, we had to get the police to take him to hospital for his own and my family’s safety.

As there are now insufficient resources available to support him, he is unlikely to ever be able to live in the community again. A once relatively successful and happy life has been denied to him.

The financial cost of his years of treatment is incalculable – and the impact of all this on my son and my family cannot be measured.

Anonymous

Address supplied

Turn back the page

We should be extremely worried that Of Mice and Men and To Kill a Mockingbird have been removed from curricula in Wales because of racial slurs (“Of Mice And Men and To Kill A Mockingbird removed from Welsh GCSE curriculum”, Monday 23 December).

The removal of the opportunity for children to read and critique such books is most regrettable. These novels reflect our history. Removing them from the syllabus is just as bad as pretending it didn’t happen!

Dr Anthony Ingleton

Abbeydale, Sheffield