Tory plotting and scheming is all to gaslight the electorate

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The country is in such a mess with crises on various fronts. What we need is a real government (PA)

So this is what occupies the Conservative Party now? Plotting and scheming to manoeuvre the next “chosen one” into the top job, so that person can have a go at gaslighting the electorate?

The country is in such a mess with crises on various fronts – education, the NHS and the economy, to name but a few. What we need is a real government, because we haven’t got one at the moment. We have a party torn apart by factions and infighting. A party who, for the past few years, have assumed that they will be in power for many more years, and have completely forgotten why they are in parliament at all.

And now we’re into an election year, so the government is totally focused on trying to win another term in office. We have a prime minister who promised us honesty and integrity, but gave us the exact opposite. And the newest candidate for the top job, Kemi Badenoch, has already gaslighted everyone by issuing a stern telling-off to her colleagues turning against Rishi Sunak – only to be exposed as one of those plotting to remove him.

In the meantime, the country is stumbling from one crisis to another. But never mind about that! The Tories have more important things to tend to.

Karen Brittain

York

Another own goal

Just what was the whole point of presiding over the Cop summit in Glasgow if the Conservative Party didn’t even believe in the cause? They are too distracted by the constant and bitter in-fighting to live up to their promises.

While David Cameron and Alok Sharma both proudly boasted about wanting to reach net zero targets the same can’t be said for those on the Conservative right wing. Hence they now have former Ukip member and Nigel Farage ally, Craig Mackinlay accusing the prime minister of a “shameful acceptance of decline” and putting Britain on a “path to ruin”. At least Labour have a sense of direction and a goal to aim at.

All the Conservatives do is score own goal after own goal.

Geoffrey Brooking

Havant

A fitting tribute

I recently read Sean O’Grady’s piece on MP Kate Osamor, and personally, I cannot agree with his view that drawing parallels to Gaza in her Holocaust memorial post was a “despicable” error of judgement.

On the contrary, learning from past genocides is the surest way to never repeat them. Sadly, our world is blighted with racism, discrimination, colonial subjugation, conflicts, wars, epidemics and unspeakable cruelties. We cannot continue on the path that sees one human suffering as deserving of more compassion, empathy and understanding than another. The most apt and fitting tribute to the legacy of the Holocaust would be to treat all humans in fair and equal ways.

Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob

London

Clearing up the mess

I am as relieved as everyone that sense seems to be prevailing in Northern Ireland – in other words – the DUP realise they have run out of road and causing more carnage will not be tolerated. Stormont may resume.

And at least this time the Brexit madness has been cushioned, though only to stop the DUP throwing their toys out of the pram over the mess created by the party they ally themselves with – the Conservatives.

It’s easy to forget the real irony which is that Ireland, like Scotland, voted strongly to remain in the EU.

As for the poison of Brexit itself, one cannot help thinking of a popular line from Dr Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat – “the mess is so big and so deep and so tall, we cannot clear it up there is no way at all”.

Amanda Baker

Edinburgh

Division in the ranks

The GOP is smart to hold off on Donald Trump. Even as Nikki Haley trails Trump 17 to 32 following the Iowa and New Hampshire caucus, the GOP National Convention in Vegas decided not to name Trump the “presumptive nominee”.

In the past, Trump supported Haley in her role as South Carolina’s first female governor and his own UN ambassador. Since then, however, she has been aggressively campaigning to take him down. As Trump battles a litany of criminal allegations, including those of sexual assault, I bet he is infuriated by Haley. A woman standing up to him, just like in 2016 with Hillary Clinton.

As when Trump mocked Hilary as incompetent and corrupt for leaked emails, I believe that Haley is laying a trap so that he must defend his lead from prior accusations. At least she’s kept up a fight worth watching.

Angus West

Address Supplied