Tax is the price of living in a civilised society

Well said Lauren Dawson (Previous letters to the editor).  I hope all those voters who want everything, but want someone else to pay for such will take note.  

If we want a working NHS, if we want our military defences suitably staffed and equipped, if we want an effective criminal justice system, if we want our prison system to work, if we want effective social services, if we want a world class education system etc, then tax cuts are not the answer.  

Tax is the price of living in a civilised society.  As one of my friends used to say – “if you don’t want to pay tax, go and live in Somalia”.

Steve Barnes

Kent

Alan Rusbridger’s article makes an essential and important connection between the monarchy’s finances and its future.

May I suggest a solution? The institution goes into voluntary liquidation and the assets raised are used to set up a trust fund that generates reparations for slavery in perpetuity.

Thomas Fairhurst

Kent

The promise of £1.4bn to fix-up broken schools from Bridget Phillipson sounds like a very positive move but why is it necessary?

Governments are generally not generous so there must be a need for the money or in other words the schools have been run down so much it is now an emergency and by emergency, that means it will be bad publicity for the political party.

This money may fix the shell but there is still the soul to work on, the teachers have their concerns and not just wages but also many students are disinterested or distracted. This will all need a lot more work.

One hint: ask the teachers what they think would help.

Dennis Fitzgerald

Melbourne, Australia

Kemi Badenoch is right, she is not Margaret Thatcher. That’s true enough. She lacks the essential pragmatism which Thatcher hid behind a dogmatic, doctrinaire public persona.

Perry Gardner

Wolsingham, County Durham