‘Tough on crime’ Tories? What a joke!

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

The majority of criminals got away with their crimes – leaving their victims let down (PA)

I see that Rishi Sunak is claiming he will come down harder on murderers and rapists, despite the practical difficulties highlighted in The Independent’s recent leader.

But yet again the hurricane (I believe the word is appropriate here) of fraud has been ignored. The Home Office’s own statistics show that the number of recorded fraud cases has increased over the past year. Though as the national crime agency notes, the number is likely to be higher, as the majority of cases go unreported.

Disturbingly, only 2 per cent of reported cases were referred for investigation. Meaning 98 per cent were ignored!

And of these, even fewer probably went to prosecution. 

So, the majority of defrauding criminals got away with it and the victims of their crimes were let down. There’s no wonder fraud is on the increase! All ignored by the so-called “Tough on Crime” Tories. What a joke!

Tim Sidaway

Hertfordshire

My kingdom for a sauna

Well done, Sean O’Grady, for not pulling any punches in his latest article. I’ve met several shameless people in my 30 years of dealing with the public, but I doubt many of them match up to Hannah Ingram-Moore. Now that the charity is closing down and the spa is soon to be demolished, I fear that another angle will be contemplated.

My feeling is that Ms Ingram-Moore will possibly write her own book to set the record straight. It will detail how her good intentions were misconstrued; how faceless people conspired to bring her down, and naturally the emphasis will be how she is the real victim in this sorry affair.

A good title would be: "A sauna, a sauna, my kingdom for a sauna."

Robert Boston

Kent

Labour has the chance of a lifetime

I read The Independent’s recent editorial on the King’s Speech with interest. I agree that it was more of a “damp squib” than a legislative programme to excite its demoralised MPs or even recommend to the King that his government was up for radical change and progress.

There have been rumours about the general election being held in May next year, possibly a good idea because the public has become so disillusioned about the moribund state of governance, that to lengthen its ever-pronounced decline into another soggy Autumn would stretch its patience even further.

Labour now has the chance of a lifetime; but, as John Rentoul rightly states, they will indeed inherit a wasteland, with so much expectations placed on their shoulders. Keir Starmer and his party will need to have an offer on the table to invigorate and substantiate every promise that things “will only get better” under their leadership and give us all a turbo-charged optimistic boost.

Judith A Daniels

Norfolk

We have to focus on the future

The King’s Speech revealed new policies from the climate-conscious King to mandate oil and gas licenses in the North Sea with little mention of the renewables sector. The government’s intention to introduce this demonstrates a complete lack of long-term planning and backwards priorities.

Rather than placing emphasis on promoting renewables and mentioning oil and gas licenses as a means to ensure security of supply in the transition, the government has indicated that their thinking is short-term. We are upskilling for jobs that will not exist in the future, instead of filling the green skills required to support the renewables sector, a space that needs grave attention if we are to reach our net zero targets.

Over the last 18 months, renewable energy has kept costs to consumers significantly lower than if we were fully dependant on fossil fuels. If Sunak wanted to grow confidence in energy prices going down, he should have committed to investments that we know support homeowners in the long-term, like energy efficiency and local renewables. With Cop28 just around the corner, this puts the focus on the past rather than the future people in the UK want to see.

Phil Thompson

CEO of Balance Power

Putting an end to 13 years of failure

It is now time for Sir Keir Starmer and Labour to step up to the plate and demonstrate that they have the wherewithal to govern this country for the benefit of the long-suffering people.

With the last throw of the dice, Rishi Sunak has shown that his party has lost the plot and will ultimately lose the will of the people. It can only be those who are Tory diehards or have a vested interest in maintaining a Tory government that will vote for them.

Surely nobody will want to return to the sleazy, lying, deceitful and incompetent Conservative way of governance?

They have embraced all manner of foul means of pursuing their policies and legislations, which has tainted them throughout their tenure of government. Their time in office has caused untold misery for millions of people, probably to be endured for years to come. They have blighted our and our children’s future with their incompetence and mismanagement, not to mention their lying, deceitful ways.

Labour have, in my view, the best chance in years of becoming our next government. If they publish a manifesto which gives back pride in the nation and an achievable better future, with a cohesive, purposeful Labour Party right behind Sir Keir, then we will have a chance of righting the disastrous past 13 years.

Keith Poole

Basingstoke

They already walk amoung us

In recent weeks, much has been made of the potential benefits and risks that artificial intelligence could bring us. Then, following the King’s Speech, I realised we’re already being governed by artificial intelligence, as the country is clearly not being run by real intelligence at the moment. Roll on the election!

Steve Brooks

North Shields