The Tories have quite the track record for disaster

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The Tories have proven that they have absolutely no plan whatsoever (Getty)

The number of rough sleepers hits a new high, as does knife and gun crime. Prisons are in crisis, as is the NHS, and maybe we don’t have a big enough military to keep us safe. We now have to pay to transition from the EU despite having no influence, and our growth rate looks to be well below that of our former Euro partners. Added to which there is no clear picture of what a post-Brexit UK (if it holds together) will look like.

A major government contractor, Carillion, collapses and the state pleads powerlessness to do anything but pick up the pieces at some cost, and we are in hock to PFIs to the tune of £300bn. Teachers and nurses are leaving the professions faster than they are entering and no one can remember when wages did better than inflation. Oh, and not sure when the deficit is being paid off despite all the austerity.

Quite a record after seven years of Tories in office. At least the NHS was better prepared this winter...

Howard Pilott
Lewes

What were the Presidents Club organisers thinking?

I am sure that virtually everyone in the UK would strongly condemn the disgraceful behaviour at the Dorchester Hotel the other night. Clearly a case of privileged, powerful men having a sense of entitlement and if they want it they can take it. In this context “it” means anything from lewd remarks to actions worse than groping.

What I find staggering, though, is: what on earth were the organisers thinking about in the first place? They must be aware of the backlash against sleaze at Westminster and allegedly a culture of institutionalised sexual predation in Hollywood. It really does not take a genius to work out that a male exclusive evening, an insistence on attractive women as staff plus loads of alcohol is a recipe for disaster, even without the prevailing #MeToo campaign.

I welcome the resignations and I would conjecture more departures could follow in the next few days. Let us hope that in the future organisers of potentially virtuous events use a modicum of common sense along the lines of say inviting couples, mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, older people with grandchildren (over 18). In addition a normal cross section of catering staff recruited on ability not looks and dressed appropriately.

Look at that, it really was not too difficult!

Robert Boston
Kingshill

Do not forget the crucial work local churches carry out

Your correspondents are quite right in their criticisms of the church and the evils perpetrated in the name of Christianity. However, I find it very sad that they apparently have such a blinkered and one-sided view of the church, which covers a broad spectrum of different denominations as well as Catholic and Anglican.

For instance, in my town: who runs the club supporting youngsters with unbelievable problems? Professionals and volunteers from all the local churches. Who works at the food bank? Volunteers from all the local churches. Who patrols the town at weekends to keep people safe? Volunteers from all the local churches. Who runs a counselling service? Volunteers and professionals from all the local churches. Who runs the credit union? Volunteers from all the local churches.

And our town is by no means an exception.

I see God in the people who help victims of bombing, wars and untold suffering. I see God in the skills of doctors, engineers and teachers. I see God in the churches giving night shelter to the homeless and the volunteers working in the soup kitchens. The list is endless!

Two men looked out from prison bars, one saw mud and the other saw stars.

Gillian Cook
Market Harborough

Is Kyle Edmund British enough for us?

As the Brits claimed Zola Budd and Mo Farah, not to mention Johanna Konta born to Hungarian parents in Sydney, Australia, I think Kyle Edmund is as British as a number of our famous sportspersons.

Let us not forget Andy Murray only became British to his fans rather than Scottish after he started to win.

John McKinley
Birmingham

Theresa May should remember who elected her

The Prime Minister has recently said that discussions on NHS funding should be held in private behind closed doors. In private? Did she really say that?

May should be reminded in the firmest terms that she is accountable to us, the voting and taxpaying public, and that any discussions about public services must be held under full public scrutiny, so that we, the paymasters, have the opportunity to comment via our MPs or the media.

If the PM cannot cope with democracy and accountability, she must make way for someone who can.

Sam Boote
Nottingham

Oh for a statesman!

All the emerging evidence is that Brexit will cost, cost, cost. It is realistic to expect that this situation will worsen as we get further into the detail. Thus the large numbers of UK voters who chose (under misguidance from well-known sections of the media and opportunist politicians) to blame the EU instead of decades of neglect by UK governments and who were bribed by the promise of billions coming back into essential services will be sorely disappointed.

With fewer resources to be shared around, it is unlikely that past neglect will be reversed in those areas to have suffered in the past. This is a time when Britain needs a statesman to say “enough” and assert what is best for the country. Sadly there are no statesmen or stateswomen evident, only the usual, rather inept suspects. The only bright spark is that people will unequivocally know which party to blame at the next election.

Arthur Streatfield
Bath