Fringe fanatics have taken hold of the public narrative

It is time to accept that the lunatic fringes of the right in Britain, as in the US, have taken hold of the public narrative.

Simply reporting verbatim the verbal vomit of those who easily grab headlines with their simplistic, caustic, endlessly repeated one-liners is naive to the point of negligence.

For example, the issue of vulnerable migrants is receptively portrayed as a “stop-the-boats” issue – Braverman’s narrative. All nuance and humanity are effectively obliterated, but so are the real issues lying behind – the Home Office’s incompetence and cruelty processing asylum.

As long as the “fair-minded” continue to play by rules that are not adhered to by the fanatics, we are going nowhere positive.

Amanda Baker

Edinburgh

On coronation day the Metropolitan Police Service arrested 60 people who wished to protest peacefully against the monarchy. There was no evidence that their protest would be disruptive, but they were detained for many hours.

The police have now apologised, and in doing so have demonstrated the wrong of the appalling Public Order Act which was rushed through by an increasingly authoritarian government and which appears to be acceptable to the largest opposition party.

Our politicians need to be firmly told that such an assault on our liberties is unacceptable in an allegedly free country. Those of us who are able surely have a duty to protest against this outrageous act, peacefully and often.

Susan Alexander

South Gloucestershire

Learning of what happened to the anti-monarchy campaigners last Saturday should give all who cherish liberty and the right to peacefully protest a wake-up call as to just how easy it is for the state to remove the nation’s freedom of speech.

The recent Public Order Act, which gave the police these pernicious powers to implement this draconian law, was hastily rushed through the parliament just in time for the coronation. Now, rightly or wrongly, it will be indelibly associated with our loss of freedom.

As long as this law remains in place, we can no longer claim the right to point the finger or criticize other totalitarian regimes.

Mike George

London

I don’t suppose there’s any danger of my MP Liz Truss popping down to her constituency in South West Norfolk occasionally to attend to the plethora of banalities like potholes, lack of NHS dental services, or the region’s main hospital having its roof held up only by steel safety props? I can see she’s still in denial about her plummeting political career, and somehow believes she still has enough credibility on a world stage to make speeches in Taiwan about Chinese aggression.

I can see it must be hard to let go of that “power rush”, but I can’t help wondering whether Rishi Sunak might have preferred to send his actual foreign secretary or a minister to undertake important government functions like this, or does he just let her tinker on the periphery to keep her happy? I’d also quite like to know who’s paying for this jamboree, and whether anyone’s tipped off the hotels about hiding the bathrobes.

Notoriously and famously conspicuous by her absence in her rural backwater constituency in the past when stomping up and down the corridors of power we imagined she’d now let go of the old life and get on with the job she’s paid for. Or is that beneath her now?

Steve Mackinder

Denver

Labour needs to be more visible to the general public, as much of their future strategy, plans, and policies are still a mystery to voters.

We need Keir Starmer to present an achievable manifesto that the party fully supports and is keen to implement. Then we the voters can decide whether to vote for the party.

It is not too early to enlighten us about the stance the party will take on a better, stable economy. Or how we can reduce the cost of living and offer future prosperity to our children. Whatever their policies will be, we need to understand their stance and be convinced that the Labour Party, unlike the Tories, will not U-turn on those promises.

It must show that Labour is a fair, honest, and dedicated governing party intent on looking after the needs of the people; something that is sorely missing from the current incompetent government.

After the recent great strides the Labour Party has made, which is mainly on the back of dislike for the Tories, they have to show us what the future holds.

Keith Poole

Basingstoke