The Tories cannot claim to be the party of stability

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Our unelected prime minister Rishi Sunak has the appearance of a man bobbing about in a coracle, hoping to avoid an electoral tsunami (AP)

There are various options presented to us regarding the drivers of a general election forced by Tory party disunity.

Of all the interesting and well-informed opinion, both expert and from within the party itself, that explain the possibility of a rebellion by Rishi Sunak’s own party forcing a general election, the one that gives me greatest encouragement is Catherine Haddon’s statement that “it could simply be out of spite”.

On the basis of observation it would be in character and might be a better bet than the party calling an election for the good of the country – something that is not their style.

The self-described party of stability is pitching and rolling in a tempest of its own making, each faction presently afloat in its own little boat. I can imagine that Tory MPs – oft described as rats in a sack – if offered freedom, might wish to abandon a sinking ship. A case of every rat for himself? Meanwhile, our unelected prime minister Rishi Sunak has the appearance of a man bobbing about in a coracle, hoping to avoid an electoral tsunami.

There is, of course, as one expert pointed out, another possibility. A third unelected prime minister. We should also not forget their election winner, Boris Johnson, waiting in the wings. Constitutionally, both options are within their grasp.

David Nelmes

Newport

No excuse for mental health failings

I agree with your editorial that there can be no excuses for the failings of our mental health services. Mental health is among our most critical public health imbroglios.

Mental illness affects countless people, causes unbearable anguish to their families, saps our human resources and drains financial savings.

We can scarcely imagine the burden on our NHS services, universities, schools, factories and shops in terms of absence and productivity. It is time for a new bold insight to put mental health at the heart of government policies.

Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob

London

NHS in crisis

In Long Reads, Dr Kath Fielder, now a GP, portrayed a broken NHS about to be usurped by private medicine, as with dentistry. An NHS underfunded and understaffed. An NHS that has been run down by successive governments intent on short-term financial gain but inflicting long-term damage to the country’s health and welfare.

Our forefathers established a health system that has proved to be the bedrock of our society, where, regardless of financial status or perceived class, people would receive necessary healthcare free at the point of need. This has, until now, enabled people to live healthy, longer lives.

This in itself is becoming a problem, so governments make out. Governments have known for decades that there will be many more older people in the country but have done very little to mediate for the increase in an ageing population. In the lifetime of this current Tory government, our NHS capability, resilience and performance have been drastically reduced.

Not only are there millions of outpatients waiting for hours to be treated at A&E departments, but seeing a GP is virtually impossible. Other NHS services are simply not available when required or funding has to be applied for before treatment can begin.

It appears that thousands of clinical practitioners are leaving the NHS and not being replaced, which puts patients in jeopardy on the wards and reduces the number of patients who can be treated. It also leads to those NHS staff members who remain “burning out” – and becoming demoralised by overwork, pay and conditions.

The NHS is a wonderful service, envied the world over and benefiting all strata of society. To reduce health services will cause the health of the nation to deteriorate. Just look what the partial privatisation and expense of dentistry is doing to the population’s oral health.

Britain’s health, both physical and mental, is the cornerstone of our success. To reduce the availability of healthcare will further adversely affect our ability to compete for trade with other countries.

Keith Poole

Basingstoke

A united Conservative Party

In a brief history of recent Tory leaders (who also happen to have been prime ministers) and their attempts to unite the party that has been in government (rather than governing) for 12 years, let me mention a few names.

David Cameron, who gave his divided party a referendum on EU membership, confidently expecting that Remain would win.

Theresa May, who voted Remain, but transferred her allegiance to bring the party and country back together and follow the democratic mandate (which was not legally binding, except the Tories decided to make it so), by having a cabinet that included both sides of the division.

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Boris Johnson, who observed the failure of his predecessor’s tactics and instead instituted a Kremlin-like purge of all who failed to follow the ideology he had chosen as most likely to make him “world king”.

Liz Truss, whose cabinet of best friends couldn’t fail to support her very clear focus on growth.

Rishi Sunak, who has observed the failure of all his predecessors to unite his party, and is now portraying himself as the grown-up in the room (even though Suella Braverman and Gavin Williamson are both back – and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d offered Boris Johnson a role as well).

If this is “unite”, give me the alternative.

Katharine Powell

Neston