The nation has lost faith in a parliament for the people

When the heart starts to fail, symptoms gradually start to appear throughout the body. Pain, confusion and fatigue – accompanied by anger and frustration, if left untreated – lead to the inevitable result.

The heart of our democratic society is our electoral system and our elected parliament. It is failing.

Putting aside any party allegiance, it is impossible to argue that parliament still represents the views of the people.

From the nonsense of Brexit, presented as “the will of the people”; to landslide electoral wins based on a minority view (first for Boris Johnson and now for Keir Starmer), our system is simply a pressure valve for expressions of anger and disillusionment.

The incredibly depressing spectacle that we have witnessed on our streets over the last few days should be taken as a warning sign about the health of our democracy. Those with strong views right across the political spectrum will feel that the only way to be heard is noisy and increasingly confrontational protest.

A severe democratic heart attack will follow if the problem is not corrected. For people to have their faith in a “government of the people, by the people, for the people”, we need to have an elected parliament that restores faith in the view that parliament reflects our society. We cannot continue to stumble forward with decisions motivated by anger and frustration if we are to avoid rapid and terminal decline.

John Dillon

Northfield

X (formerly Twitter) – and its unstable proprietor, Elon Musk – have been gathering increasing criticism for some time. After their recent contribution to the far-right riots, is it not time for people and the media to stop giving them such a high profile?

A number of journalists across the media have admitted that yes, perhaps they should stop using X and no longer rely on it as a source. Many others have already abandoned the platform entirely.

It’s time to start a campaign to boycott X by journalists and the mainstream general public.

Tim Sidaway

Abbots Langley

For the people of Britain to grow up healthy and able, wider immunisation against infectious diseases is absolutely necessary.

When I was a baby, polio was a major cause of death for young infants. Since then, great strides have been made in medicine and care to safeguard against the killer disease.

Why on earth parents don’t take advantage of these drugs, which can save lives, is a mystery to me.

Children not immunised are at risk and a risk to others through no fault of their own. It seems an antisocial feature in society not to immunise children, yet this movement is only growing in popularity.

We will all pay the price of ill health if the immunisation rate does not increase. Our NHS is under considerable pressure already and lacks the ability to cater for those suffering from easily preventable diseases.

Our medical and natal practitioners need to encourage new parents to understand the benefits of immunisation versus no protection.

Keith Poole

Basingstoke

It is almost funny... except that it did happen. A fake report suggested that Keir Starmer was going to send far-right rioters recently arrested to prison cells on the Falkland Islands.

To those of us with common sense, it seemed like yet another fake news conspiracy item, without any credibility. But it gained support when it was shared by Elon Musk, a figure with more than 193 million followers on X (formerly Twitter).

The post was removed quickly, but many saw it – and, it seems, many more believed it. How long will we allow social media to spread stories like this?

The world needs to wake up to how much damage these platforms are causing, or at least not be so gullible.

Dennis Fitzgerald

Melbourne

After reading The Independent’s recent editorial, all I can say is: “hear, hear”. The spirit of optimism expressed gives hope that society will indeed be tolerant and inclusive.

It is heartening that so many have marched to support their neighbours and those affected by rioting. The fundraising for destroyed shops and businesses underlines that good will prevail.

Marilyn Timney

Liss