The Tory fixation with the Rwanda project is desperate and unhinged

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This is manic behaviour from a prime minister and his cabinet over a ‘migrant crisis’ that is of their own making (Getty)

The government’s obsessive commitment to its Rwanda migrant policy is desperate and unhinged. We are obliged to watch as a succession of ministers are trotted out to justify the unacceptable in order to appease the right wing of their party and pursue an unworkable and amoral approach to a problem that has been exacerbated by the government itself.

The readiness with which our government is prepared to overturn international human rights legislation and the rule of law in order to demonise those who are seeking a better life for themselves away from poverty and exploitation is shameful. Climate change, political instability and poverty will cause more and more people to move from their homes to seek a better life elsewhere – that is their basic human right and has been a characteristic of human behaviour for all times.

The way that the government should be responding to the problem, now and over the last decade, is twofold; by working in a coordinated way internationally to criminalise and punish the actions of illegal people traffickers, whilst ensuring that efficient systems are in place to process asylum requests and migrant applications.

Unfortunately, our government has shown itself unable to think and act strategically and long term, over this and all other issues. Instead, having failed to manage the problem and lost control of the situation, it erroneously chooses to label all migrants as “illegal” and make short-term gestures that seem to offer simple solutions to a complex problem that requires a measured and moral response.

The desperate need for a change of leadership and government has never been more clearly exemplified than in the manic behaviour of the prime minister and his cabinet over a “migrant crisis” of their own making.

Graham Powell

Cirencester

This is your Captain Sunak speaking...

I read Adam Forrest’s recent article with interest as this intractable problem rumbles on, with yet more off-the-wall thinking.

As Jeremy Hunt states, Rishi Sunak is indeed a determined and persistent prime minister, so I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he doesn’t take a fast-track aviation course and obtains a pilot’s licence, so he can fly a plane to Rwanda himself. With all his comprehensive knowledge of being a private passenger, it should prove a walk in the park or a least a trouble-free flight in the air!

Judith A Daniels

Norfolk

The most scandalous thing about the Covid inquiry is how long it will take

The worst thing about this inquiry is not the revelations we are now hearing, but the five years the inquiry is set to run. This is appalling for the families and friends of those who died from Covid. Not so for the lawyers, who will have a regular high income for years to come.

Why so long? Sir Humphrey Appleby in Yes, Prime Minister has probably provided the answer.

When the prime minister was horrified at a scandal that was breaking, Sir Humphrey recommended an inquiry. The PM said awful things would come out of it. "Don’t worry, prime minister. It will not report for years, by which time everybody will have forgotten about it.”

With five years of interviews, I imagine expensive lawyers will also be interviewing Larry, chief mouser to the Cabinet Office. A being of enormous experience in his short life of 15 years, having served five prime ministers in No 10.

Michael Stone

Devon

We are wasting opportunities to rehabilitate

The Independent’s recent article on “squalid overcrowded prisons” shines a spotlight on a crumbling prison system, which further traumatises people with complex and difficult lives. As a charity working with prison leavers for over 50 years, we know how vital it is to use the time in prison to prepare and rehabilitate people for re-entering society. This opportunity has been missed in HMP Bedford, and it’s being missed across much of the prison estate.

A direct result of this wasted opportunity to rehabilitate people in prison is the high levels of reoffending we have in the UK. The prison system needs a radical overhaul. People in prison need purposeful work or training. They need better mental health and substance misuse support. They need help to maintain relationships and community ties. Only with these things in place can we hope to reduce reoffending, bring down crime and relieve the pressure on a creaking and overcrowded criminal justice system.

Campbell Robb

Chief executive at Nacro

Menopause drives women to the edge, and we need to help them

At long last we are talking about alternatives to HRT being provided on the NHS.

For a large percentage of the population lifestyle changes and solutions such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) will be enough to get them through their menopause. Not every woman needs a medicalised solution, neither does every woman want to or can take it.

For too long we have only had HRT as a solution to troubling symptoms, unless we had the money to pay to see a complementary therapist. This for many is money they simply don’t have, when the decision is whether to heat your home or eat, the option of a therapist is simply not on the table.

Menopause symptoms are felt by every woman and person with ovaries, no matter their wealth, social standing or ethnicity. This means that it impacts their ability to work, their finances, and their ability to contribute to their local economy. It also affects their relationships, whether with their partner, children, wider family, friends or colleagues; sometimes with devastating effects.

Without meaningful support women and their dependents can tip into a downward spiral very quickly. This is why the announcement that CBT for menopause will be available on the NHS, is so welcome. It cannot replace HRT for those who are really struggling, but it can work alongside it, or for some be an option where taking HRT is not possible.

Menopause drives women to the edge. It’s not helpful when the NHS and its support services are already there ahead of them.

Kate Usher

Menopause coach