Letters: A return to first principles is the Tories’ best chance of avoiding an election wipeout
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SIR – The Conservative Party’s only chance of avoiding annihilation in the general election is to adopt conservative policies, namely smaller government and lower taxes.
I live in hope, but fear the manifesto will be a continuance of current Left-of-centre policies. If this is the case, the party will lose votes to Labour on the Left and Reform UK on the Right, with many Conservatives staying at home.
Richard North
Reading, Berkshire
SIR – It’s difficult to believe that the Conservatives have decided to lose an election six months earlier than they need to.
Paul Webster
Dyserth, Denbighshire
SIR – You have argued recently that Conservative voters should not let “apathy put Sir Keir in Downing Street” (Leading Article, May 17).
It is not a lack of interest that will prevent many from casting their vote for the Tories; it is disgust at having been let down since Boris Johnson took power – in everything from tax to immigration – and the Tories’ willingness to let green and woke issues to dominate every aspect of life.
Above all the Tories will be judged for their sheer contempt for individual freedom during the pandemic, which resulted in the trashing of the economy, the education system and the nation’s mental health. I could never vote for a party that fails openly and unequivocally to accept its catastrophic error in enforcing lockdowns and mandatory mask-wearing.
Tim Coles
Carlton, Bedfordshire
SIR – Woke and broke under the Conservatives or woker and broker under Labour is not much of a choice.
Dr David Slawson
Nairn
SIR – Rishi Sunak lost the Conservative Party on March 1, when he announced that he would address the nation in front of No 10. The lectern was ceremoniously brought in for a groundbreaking speech, but he merely condemned extremists “trying to tear us apart”. This was at a time when chaos was threatening the Labour Party following George Galloway’s victory in the Rochdale by-election.
Like most Conservatives, we hoped that Mr Sunak was about to make a bold new leadership statement setting out his strategy for attacking the Opposition, but instead he merely turned away and entered No 10 without a word. This was a huge opportunity lost.
Stephen Hitch
Ermington, Devon
SIR – Now the games have begun, we should at least get the rules straight. What is an aspiration? What is a manifesto pledge? What is a policy?
Dr Timothy Davey
Bristol
SIR – The problem with Rishi Sunak’s “we have a plan” approach is simple. Any fool can have a plan, but it takes rather more vision and effort than we have seen so far to ensure that it is credible, that it is deliverable and, finally, that it is implemented.
At present, unbelievably, not one of these three conditions applies – the first two being still unspecified ambitions, with the third (the one upon which the future of the Tory party truly depends) remaining no more than a distant hope.
Without clarity, commitment, courage and action, the Conservative Party will deservedly remain unelectable.
Richard Longfield
Weston Patrick, Hampshire
SIR – As the Prime Minister announced the election date outside No 10 yesterday afternoon, he was made inaudible by the loud sound of Things Can Only Get Better, a Labour anthem.
Perhaps this indicates that, under Labour, things will only get ruder.
Kim Thonger
Collyweston, Northamptonshire
SIR – Where was the Minister for Common Sense yesterday? Who in their right mind would make such an important announcement in the pouring rain with the idiots at the gates to Downing Street blaring out their music?
Lisa Dumbavand
London SW18
SIR – This is a smart move by Rishi Sunak, as Labour has been caught napping with no policies.
In contrast, Reform UK has had its policy offer in the public domain for many months, though it hasn’t yet hit the ground with a campaign in most of the country.
Sir Keir Starmer is going to get flak from all sides when he is finally brave enough to claim the policies that Labour has been hiding from the public. I suspect this will be a very messy campaign for all parties.
Keith Phair
Felixstowe, Suffolk
SIR – Rishi Sunak has called Labour’s bluff. Sir Keir Starmer is not fit to be prime minister. For the sake of Britain and the success of Brexit, only a Tory victory on July 4 will guarantee our national security.
Mistakes have been made and learnt from, but future prosperity beckons. Britain cannot afford a Labour government.
Dominic Shelmerdine
London SW3
SIR – Amid the Prime Minister’s positive claims about the economy, I would point out that, since the Covid recession and rebound, we have had virtually no growth. We have the same GDP as five years ago, but national debt is 20 per cent higher.
I would describe this as stagnant.
Andrew Holgate
Wilmslow, CheshirE
SIR – There are three principal alternatives that face the voter at the forthcoming general election: a hung parliament, a small Labour majority or a larger one.
Camilla Tominey (Comment, May 4) has warned that “a small majority may leave [Sir Keir Starmer] in hock to the hard-Left loons and pro-Palestinian fanatics, making the prospect of his fruitcake administration look even nuttier”.
But with a large majority Sir Keir may have the freedom to ignore the “hard-Left loons” and pursue a more benign centre-Left agenda, so allowing a real small-c conservative party to emerge later.
This is the compelling argument for apathetic Tory voters joining Richard Tice’s Reform UK and teaching the Conservatives the painful lesson they so richly deserve.
Miles Robinson
Robertsbridge, East Sussex
SIR – I would rather pay a little more in tax for better public services than, for example, be forced to pay for private health insurance (“Labour tax rises as sure as night follows day, says Hunt”, report, May 17). What’s more, Jeremy Hunt, the Chancellor, has been accused of making tax-cut promises based on fanciful savings in government spending, including squeezing even further the already squashed unprotected departments.
In any case, if Labour can kick-start our underperforming economy with good policies, then tax income will automatically rise.
Michael Miller
Sheffield, South Yorkshire
SIR – Last week Sir Keir Starmer opened Labour’s election campaign with six pledges, none of which involved the defence of the realm. No real surprise there.
Sadly, the Conservative Party has been responsible for the depletion of our Armed Forces, both in terms of numbers and capabilities. Acknowledgement of the dangers posed by Russia, China, North Korea and Iran is all well and good, as is talk of increasing the defence budget, but for now it’s all hot air and bluster.
The decline needs to be arrested as a matter of urgency.
Alec Richardson
St Martin’s, Shropshire
SIR – Sir Keir Starmer’s promise of 6,500 new teachers sounds very grand, until the number of state schools is taken into account: just below 25,000. This will mean schools benefit on average from under one third of a teacher each.
With the promised tax increases on private education, there will likely be a sizable increase in pupil numbers in the state sector. This will rapidly negate any benefit from the extra teachers, even if they can be found.
Can an explanation of how this will work be provided, please?
Jonathan Mann
Gunnislake, Cornwall
SIR – If Sir Keir Starmer loses the election, will he demand another one? He has already proved himself incapable, during Brexit, of accepting the results of a democratic vote.
William McWilliams
Ashford, Kent
SIR – NHS managers using taxpayers’ money to defend personal and organisational reputations (“NHS turns on doctors who blow whistle over safety”, report, May 16) is the same as what happened, and continues to happen, at the Post Office. I would vote for any party that promised to end this appalling practice.
Alex Taylor
Thame, Oxfordshire
SIR – While I am pleased we will soon have a general election, I am disappointed that it has deflected attention from Paula Vennells at a time when she requires intense scrutiny.
Phil Angell
Helston, Cornwall
SIR – What a remarkable and brave man Craig Mackinlay MP is (“I beat the grim reaper but he took away all my limbs”, report, May 22) .
Although his party is set to suffer severely at the polls on July 4, I sincerely hope that the good people of South Thanet re-elect their MP. The more I read about Mr Mackinlay, the more I admire him.
I am sure that, whatever our political allegiances, we all wish him and his family the very best.
Gordon Moser
Barkingside, Essex
SIR – In the last set of local elections, often around 65 to 70 per cent of the eligible population could not bring themselves to vote at all.
A reformation of the current political agenda is required at this general election, in line with the voting public’s wishes. Not easy, but essential.
Norman Conrad
Tandridge, Surrey
SIR – With a general election looming, the Conservatives really need to take a leaf out of their old Saatchi & Saatchi playbook, and find some better slogans to get their message across.
How about: “Vote Labour, Become Wales”. Short, simple and easy to understand. It might not be popular in Wales, but there cannot be many Tory votes to be lost there. It might even work in Scotland.
Richard Peirson
Richmond, Middlesex
SIR – As an American living in England, I will never get used to these surprise elections. I am so conditioned to four years of scheduled, growing dread.
Barbara Jones
Cambridge
SIR – I do hope that on July 4 there will be minimal use of schools as polling stations.
Surely there are sufficient community centres, church halls and other similar places that could be used to avoid our children missing yet another day of essential education.
David Littlefield
Tynemouth, Northumberland
SIR – We are thinking of how much we’re going to save on electricity over the next six weeks because of not having the television or radio on.
Jane Oldroyd
Kelsall, Cheshire
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