Naipaul’s fearless honesty deserves to be recognised

Having read Robert McCrum’s article “Should we cancel the art of problematic artists?” regarding the late VS Naipaul, which fairly and in quite a balanced manner elucidated both sides of the argument, I cannot help but feel that we live in a time in which “political correctness” may have gone too far.

Some aspects of Naipaul’s personal life may not be to our liking, and I personally disagreed with some of his more unacceptable views, yet that cannot and should not be allowed to take anything away from his contribution to literature.

This “cancel culture” appears to be a knee-jerk response to things and people we may not like. But such attitudes militate against tolerating unpleasant things in order to learn and hone one’s own views/attitudes. Such tolerance lies at the heart of debate, which I consider necessary to preserve if we are to continue to make sense of an increasingly complicated world. Otherwise, “cancel culture” could end up cancelling thought itself in favour of a deadening, politically correct uniformity.

Rashed Rahman

Former editor, Daily Times, The Frontier Post

Lahore, Pakistan

Robert McCrum’s laudatory assessment of the work, character and robust attitudes of Vidia Naipaul is a reasoned and insightful rejoinder to the remarks on his life and work that have been provoked by the recent death of his authorised biographer Patrick French.

May I add two simple points. As a friend and very frequent visitor to Vidia’s house, I witnessed his conversation with Patrick while the latter was researching the biography. Vidia was extremely candid in his confessions, and fearlessly honest in handing over very private correspondence to Patrick. When I asked why he wanted to indulge such confession, he said he wanted the truth to be told.

I never experienced Vidia telling a lie, and when he said to me that the sections in the biography, gleaned from the testimony of motivated others, about sadomasochism towards women were untrue, I believed him.

And the second observation about his life and work is that his descent from Indian indentured labourers and their priests in Trinidad caused the writer in him to be absolutely devoid of any nationalism or religious allegiance. This lack guided and enriched his perception and writing about the degradations and historical hypocrisies of our world.

Farrukh Dhondy

The Vidia that I knew and admired was an inscrutably honest writer who tried to see things as they were and show us how they are. His private life should not distract us from his great work.

Nicholas Mavroleon

I never imagined that I would be truly thankful to Boris Johnson, but I am now, for highlighting the levels of favouritism and cronyism inherent in resignation honours lists.

What he seems to be proposing is bad enough, but the prospect of Liz Truss having her turn is frightening. Who could possibly have done anything meriting reward during her 49 days of chaotic failure?

It is time for this absurd convention to be ended. Those other recipients of awards for true service or achievement from the Queen’s honours lists do not need to be falsely associated with the patronage of failed politicians.

Charles Wood

Birmingham

Whoever becomes Scotland’s next first minister will be forced to address the serious problem of the country’s deficit. Despite Scotland’s economy currently being propped up by what many experts believe is a short(ish)-term blip in oil and gas prices, the deficit is nevertheless running at 12.3 per cent of GDP; more than double that of the UK as a whole. As Kate Forbes’s own figures show, it would be 15.7 per cent excluding the volatile North Sea income.

The Sturgeon years have been characterised by universal benefits. Scotland, of course, pays income tax at a higher rate than everywhere else in the UK, but arguably not high enough to maintain current public service levels. Westminster prefers to target according to need rather than applying benefits universally – arguably not the best way to attract middle-class voters, but more fiscally prudent.

You could say, so what? Most countries run huge deficits, so why not Scotland? One reason is that a key SNP hook to attract voters to the notion of a Scottish exit is to claim that we’d join the EU with ease.

Yet the EU requires new members to run a deficit not in excess of 3 per cent – Scotland’s is more than 400 per cent higher. Some countries within the EU run deficits of more than 3 per cent (though rarely as high as 12.3 per cent), but the key difference is that such countries are already in the EU, not applying to join.

It seems that Humza Yousaf, Emma Forbes or Ash Regan will face the massive challenge of significantly reducing the deficit by a combination of (somehow) rapidly growing income derived from the onshore economy, increasing income tax, or slashing public services, if they are ever going to be able to claim, with a semblance of credibility, that an independent Scotland could join the EU. Such is Sturgeon’s legacy.

Martin Redfern

Roxburghshire

I agree with Andrew Grice’s comments that the political scene for Labour has translated into a far trickier one, with Sunak outflanking Boris Johnson, his allies and the ERG in one fell swoop, getting his vote across the line without the necessity of Labour involvement.

In his Windsor Framework, Sunak performed with an adroitness and a measure of flair that people did not see coming. His more ameliorative stance with the EU is welcome and much needed after the crass stand-offs and insults meted out by leading Brexiteers in the government, who took every gratuitous opportunity to throw their Brexit retro toys out of the pram.

But Labour now needs to box very clever, not take the polls for granted and offer up “out of the box” solutions to the myriad ills affecting this still very beleaguered country. Mr Grice is correct that Labour will have to offer a real, definitive choice to the electorate, upping its game at every opportunity.

Judith A Daniels

Great Yarmouth

Peter Ricketts and Emily Shuckburgh are right that the creeping perils of climate change are ignored at our cost.

Food insecurity, climate injustices, biodiversity loss, extinction of rare species, water scarcity, energy and health insecurity, eco-migration and conflict over natural resources are some of the critical issues that will grip and elude our world in the 21st century.

Stakeholders from governments, public and private sectors, civil society organisations and NGOs must find solutions for our environment that will give space for creative approaches to achieve sustainability.

Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob

London