The Tory MP arrested on suspicion of rape should be the last straw

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An unnamed MP has been arrested and now released on bail on suspicion of rape (PA)

Yet another Conservative MP is under police investigation for gross misconduct while an elected member of parliament. An unnamed MP has been arrested and now released on bail on suspicion of rape, indecent assault, sexual assault, abuse of a position of trust and misconduct in public office.

Where did he get the time to allegedly proffer his unwanted sexual attentions, work on behalf of his party, his electors, the country and still be a viable MP? He could not possibly have been an asset to the government, so why wasn’t he demoted, sacked or better still, ousted from the Tory party altogether?

There appears to be 56 MPs currently under investigation for breaking a variety of misconduct rules, three of whom are in the cabinet.

Abuse is not confined to males. Priti Patel was saved from censure by the intervention of Boris Johnson riding roughshod over official reports which confirmed allegations of abuse. Subsequently that official resigned in protest, which to me smacks of abuse in itself.

It’s not acceptable for male MPs to say that the situation is “better than 10 or 20 years ago”. The fact is that the abuse, of any description, whether it be sexual or otherwise, is totally unacceptable. But especially in parliament where the electorate looks for good governance, honesty and leadership. Why else would we elect our MPs?

Where is the backbone of parliament? Something positive must be done urgently to prevent abuses from preventing our MPs from improving the lot of the people. This has got to be the last straw, surely.

Keith Poole

Basingstoke

Dictatorships

The reminder by David Harding of the two opponents of the Belarus dictator contained a warning about what can happen when power and the whims of one ego go unchecked.

We see this in many countries, almost always when there is a one-party state and even saw similar effects in the USA under Trump. Thank goodness nothing like that could ever apply here.

G Forward

Stirling

Economic consequences of war in Ukraine

The Bank of England governor, clearly telling it like it is, has warned MPs of the pending apocalyptic global food price rises, sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; all in the face of surging inflation.

The Bank’s prediction suggests inflation could reach 10 per cent this year. With a target of 2 per cent, the outlook for the UK’s economy is bleak to say the least, but of course, it is not just the UK that is affected by Russia’s invasion, but much of the world.

Putin can now bask in his success since taking Mariupol, safe in the knowledge it will be nigh on impossible for plucky Ukraine – in isolation – to ever recover and force him out. With his bullying threats, he has frightened the western powers away and is free to continue in the same vein and take whatever he chooses, safe in the knowledge he will not be challenged

We in the west are sitting back in safety and comfort, allowing vile deeds to continue. Except, of course, there is a heavy price to be paid financially in many parts of the world – in all likelihood for a long way into the future – which will hit our finances hard and have a seriously detrimental effect on our daily lives.

Ian Wingfield

Derbyshire

Oven ready Brexit deal

On 21 June 2016, Liz Truss posted on her Twitter account: “Leave have no alternative to single market – huge risk for trade and jobs”. Of course, this could have been the compromise position that would have saved the Good Friday Agreement when the government negotiated the post-Brexit agreement with the EU, had Johnson not been in thrall to his rabid, “hard Brexit” backbenchers.

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One wonders if she remembers saying this as she spouts the barefaced lies and contorted logic that she and other frontbench apologists for the duplicitous Johnson‘s “oven ready deal” are obliged to peddle on his behalf.

As we have seen time and again, Johnson drags everyone down to his level. He appoints those who are slow-witted enough to abandon their principles in pursuit of vainglorious ambition until, like him, they are in so deep that there is no turning back.

Graham Powell

Cirencester

Jake Daniels

Adam Bloodworth hopes for more LGBT+ players to come out after Jake Daniels became the UK’s first male professional footballer to come out publicly as gay since 1990.

In the unlikely event that there are any non-out trans players (men or women) in any professional sport, coming out is the last thing one would do at the moment.

The Conservatives are whipping up a frenzy over the participation of trans women in women’s sport, and the media, on both left and right, seem happy to follow.

Rachael Padman

Newmarket