Why Boris might have cause to recall the words of Denis Healey

Denis Healey was often asked whether he regretted not becoming leader of the Labour Party when Jim Callaghan retired in 1980. He made the famous remark: “I’d rather people were asking me why I wasn’t leader rather than why I was.”

Perhaps this is a comment that Boris Johnson might take to heart in the next few months?

Dr Mark Corner

Brussels

All that the Labour Party has to do in order to win the next general election is to replace Jeremy Corbyn with somebody who is seen as a moderate (David Miliband?) Do that and they would demolish Boris Johnson and his ilk.

Sarah Pegg

East Sussex

It is obvious to any independent observer that the BBC has done everything it can to unseat Jeremy Corbyn. So it will be “interesting” to see how they will help to keep Johnson in power by giving him an easy ride – because they will not succeed in changing Labour’s leader.

Carol Wilcox

Christchurch

Replacing the 20,000 police officers that were removed by Mrs May when she was home secretary is a requirement and will be popular with the Tory electorate.

However, more police and more arrests will serve little purpose when we have a Crown Prosecution Service unable to accept and process current cases, we have insufficient judges to hear cases and we have prisons that are overcrowded academies of crime.

We already send more people, including young people, to prison than any nation in Europe. We send drug addicts, alcoholics and the mentally ill to prison.

The priorities of government should be to provide more care for the mentally ill, more rehabilitation centres for drug addiction and more support facilities for young people.

Our police have to respond to the problems in our society. Our prime minister and our government should be able to recognise, prioritise and repair the problems within our society.

If only we could find such leaders.

Martin Deighton

Suffolk

Boris Johnson is attracting back voters from the Brexit Party with his promises to take the UK out of the EU by 31 October and reverse previous Tory cuts by borrowing more to spend on education, police and social care.

That’s why it is important that voters in the Brecon and Radnorshire by-election still intending to support Labour should switch to the Lib Dems rather than risk adding to the Tory ranks in parliament.

Those intending to vote Tory in the by-election should also beware that what Boris Johnson giveth with one hand he will no doubt taketh away with the other once, as he hopes, his bribes to voters win him the general election that looks set to be held in the autumn. They can then expect a return to austerity, made necessary by the need to balance the books following losses in tax revenues.

Roger Hinds

Surrey

We are delighted to see that people who have been in the care system are to be guaranteed an offer of a university place if they meet minimum entry requirements.

All 18 Scottish universities which use the main admissions system have agreed to make the change and it is hoped this might double the number of Scottish students with experience of the care system from about 300 to 600.

It should be noted that those who are care experienced represent some of the most disadvantaged members of society and experience some of the poorest outcomes. They face a high risk of homelessness, destitution, loneliness and sometimes prison.

When it comes to university admissions they lag well behind their peers, with only 4 per cent of care leavers going onto higher education compared with 39 per cent of all school leavers.

While this move is extremely encouraging, we know that there is much more to do to ensure that our looked after children are able to fulfil their potential and reach a stage of even being able to contemplate going to university.

It is widely recognised, for example, that people who have been in care face particular challenges at school and have lower educational outcomes than those who have not been in care. For example, their education may have been disrupted as they moved between carers.

So, while progress has been made, there is still much to be done to support these vulnerable children and young people reach their full potential, overcoming the challenges that so many young people who have grown up in care face.

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition:

Tom McGhee, chairman, Spark of Genius

Duncan Dunlop, chief executive, Who Cares? Scotland

Kenny Graham, principal, Falkland House School

Niall Kelly, managing director, Young Foundations

Lynn Bell, CEO, LOVE learning