The Brexit ferry contract isn’t Chris Grayling’s only recent display of poor judgement – remember the northern rail U-turn?

A lot of coverage has been given to the fiasco of the proposed ferry service from Ramsgate to Ostend. But another recent decision of Grayling’s has not received much attention in the press. In the north of England, his decision to downgrade the proposals for upgrading the TransPennine rail link was greeted with derision and incredulity.

The original proposal (leaving aside HS3) was to electrify the whole route from Manchester to Leeds via Huddersfield, and to include enlargement of one of the Standedge tunnels so that container trains could use the route.

But Grayling has decided that there will be no wires between Stalybridge and Huddersfield, and so bi-mode trains will be used. (Bi-mode = an electric train with a diesel generator on board).

The section of line without the wires has the steepest gradients, and so the trains will have to have hefty diesel generators which will make the trains very heavy and inefficient – hardly what you would do to lower carbon emissions.

And as for widening one of the Standedge tunnels, that has been scrapped, and so the container trains from Liverpool to Yorkshire will continue to have to make very circuitous journeys.

Ask Andy Burnham and the people of Liverpool, Leeds and Transport for the North what they think about Grayling’s decision. It probably won’t be printable.

Ian K Watson
Carlisle

It appears that Theresa May is still manipulating the procedures of parliament to delay the Commons vote on her withdrawal agreement so that MPs are forced to back her deal to avoid a no-deal Brexit.

Both May, and Jeremy Corbyn, have ignored the petitions and pleas for a people’s vote on grounds that it would be catastrophic and disastrous for democracy.

However, the British people are much more aware of the significance of Brexit than they were in 2016, and if recent polls are accurate, more voters now wish to remain in the EU.

In the event that a second referendum is not forthcoming, I would like to suggest that the 56 per cent of voters who, according to one poll, wish to remain in the EU, simply send a postcard with their name and address and the word “Remain” on it to the prime minister at 10 Downing Street.

Over 20 million postcards landing on the mat might persuade May to respond to the real wishes of the British people.

Danny Corey
Redcar

Wouldn’t the problem of setting an acceptable time limit to the Brexit backstop be solved by setting it at whatever date that “suitable arrangements” might become available to ensure a hard border would not be necessary between Northern Ireland and Ireland?

This would meet everyone’s concern that there would never be a hard border, ensure there is an end to the backstop and please those who think such arrangements are close at hand?

David Rhodes
Nottingham

Over the years I have written many letters pointing out bad behaviour amongst our sportspeople – mostly men!

Well, you can imagine how delighted I am to highlight some very good, exemplary even, behaviour.

Yes, well done, Joe Root, there is nothing wrong with being gay!

Robert Boston
Kingshill

I was surprised to learn that the High Court has ruled against residents of an apartment block opposite the Tate Modern in their bid to prevent crowds on the Tate’s viewing platform – which has direct views into the apartments – from spying on them.

I know that if I were to submit plans for an extension in my back garden offering unhindered views into the living space of the house next door, it would almost certainly be rejected.

You have to wonder why a different law seems to apply when it comes to “posh boys” like Justice Mann, who in his High Court decision seemed almost embarrassingly eager to put the interests of “the establishment” first.

Meanwhile, here’s my suggestion for aggrieved residents going forward: take your clothes off, at least during Tate Modern opening hours. You have every right to walk around naked in your own living space, so make the most of it. You can dance, do aerobics – the possibilities are endless. And if the Tate’s directors object, you can tell them it’s performance art. I’m sure they will understand. And if they don’t, they can always follow the judge’s advice to residents and buy net curtains.

Rob Prince
London SE13

Sprinklers in schools are a good idea, but not for the reasons stated in what appears to be an insurance company sponsored letter. The risk to life of a fire in a school is about as low at it can be and is unlikely to be improved by fitting sprinklers – everyone is awake and they are well supervised with adequate staff to conduct evacuation and search for any missing persons in toilets, etc.

Sprinklers can dramatically contain or extinguish fires before extensive property damage occurs and minimise water damage (unlike the annoying Hollywood type portrayals) by only operating in the vicinity of a fire. Malicious operation (which will occur) will cause relatively little damage too, although it tends to be “dirty” water.

Schools are mainly taken out of use by arson at night – when they are completely unoccupied and no risk to life exists, except to firefighters.

Good idea, if only austerity and climate change didn’t present greater calls upon available funding.

Michael Mann
Shrewsbury