MPs should be the first to abandon social media

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

They should lead by example and depart such toxic platforms (PA)

With regards to The Independent’s recent report on influencers warping young pupils with misogyny, may I suggest that the first step should be for the government – and MPs as a whole – to remove themselves from Twitter/ X and go back to issuing proper press releases. They should lead by example and ditch that toxic platform. Likewise, the British media should also stop quoting from the site as though it is an official news source.

An even more effective action could be to stop any mention of that abhorrent excuse for a man, who is currently on trial in Romania, as all that does is give him (and those like him) more publicity.

Chris McConnell

Dubai

Offensive and stupid

It could be said that Donald Trump sees everything in black and white. People either support him or they don’t – to him, I imagine there is no middle ground.

But is it all that simple?

How can he say that Kamala Harris’s identity has changed as “she happened to turn Black”. Moreover, to say that in front of the National Association of Black Journalists convention is not only offensive – but stupid.”

Surely, he wants to appeal to as many people as possible. So why be so divisive in what he says and does?

Value your vote and use it wisely.

Dennis Fitzgerald

Melbourne

“Sickness stress” is helping no one

The Institute for Public Policy Research’s figures on the cost of staff sickness are alarming. The data points towards a culture where employees feel like they need to be “always on”.

I fear that the boundaries between work and home life have become blurred for many employees, especially those working from home. Employees should not feel pressured to work when sick, but the data shows this is the case for many today. In fact, workers in the UK are among the least likely to take sick days, especially compared with other OECD and European countries.

This data reveals a big potential downside of poorly managed hybrid working, and it’s incumbent on employers to head it off at the pass. Businesses must encourage a culture of a healthy work-life balance. This starts with clarity for all on sickness policies, working hours, flexible working, as well as around what is and isn’t OK with communications out of hours. It’s also crucial that employee health and wellbeing benefits are communicated clearly, so employees know where to turn when they are struggling.

Working whilst sick helps no one, so we need to nip it in the bud. Making it clear to employees and ensuring they know it’s OK to be “off sick” will only inspire trust and loyalty from staff and contribute to a thriving business environment. If health at work is properly managed and we address “sickness stress”, employees, businesses and the wider economy all stand to benefit significantly.

Graham James

Director at Pluxee UK

Sufficient funds

I appreciate the police’s role in maintaining public order but why did the Metropolitan Police provide Huw Edwards with an escort to court this week?

If he feels he needs security, perhaps he should pay for it himself. I’m sure his BBC salary of up to £479,000 is sufficient to cover it.

Dr Anthony Ingleton

Sheffield

Knowledge without wisdom

Trump’s selection of JD Vance as his running mate is an intriguing choice. Vance is a wealthy Silicon Valley venture capitalist and a Yale Law School graduate with very impressive academic credentials.

He has also authored a bestselling book, Hillbilly Elegy, where he rebukes working men and women in Appalachia for their bad attitudes and lack of a work ethic. He goes on to blame them (and, presumably, working poor everywhere) for their own poverty. His logic on that point has been roundly condemned.

More recently, he has attacked Democrats and anyone else who disagrees with him as “childless cat ladies” who “want to make the rest of the country miserable”. Democrats, childless women and cats will likely take exception to that mean-spirited assessment.

All calls to mind the Japanese proverb: “Knowledge without wisdom is a load of books on the back of an ass.”

Mike Barrett

Ashburn