As London burns, let’s remember who closed the fire stations

The images of houses ablaze across London during Tuesday’s heatwave, while overwhelmed firefighters bravely struggled to stay on top of the situation, were truly shocking.

I wonder if readers can remember which London mayor it was who closed 10 fire stations, with the loss of 552 firefighters’ jobs, back in 2014. Could it be the same figure who was off on his jollies for the last few days instead of attending Cobra meetings called to plan the UK’s response to these unprecedented temperatures?

Julian Self

Milton Keynes

Cathy Newman’s acknowledgement of the potential return of Johnson for another term as prime minister is as plausible as it is shocking. Having “drained the swamp” of a credible successor, he has assured himself that any failures by either of them in the future will embolden the credulous to hasten his second coming.

There would appear to be no possibility that a Johnson return will come as a result of an open and honest acknowledgement of personal responsibility for his failures and a genuine recognition that mistakes were made and lessons learnt. That is not the way of comic book heroes apparently.

The parallels with Trump’s fall and possible rise are chilling.

Graham Powell

Cirencester

What a wonderful and refreshing article in today’s Independent by Sunny Hundal.  We feel as if we are living in part of the future described, as we are fortunate enough to live in an eco-house, which should be the future for everyone.

It’s so well built that, with our solar energy panels on the roof and battery in the garage, for the last four months we have regularly been buying only 2kW of energy from our electricity supplier every day. As our current rate of energy is only 18p per kW, this gives us a daily bill of only 36p.

It’s also great to live in a home that has no draughts in the winter and required no air conditioning during the recent heatwave. I endorse the optimism of the article: there’s a lot to appreciate about living in a well-insulated and thoughtfully constructed house. Everyone, not just Extinction Rebellion folk, should be demanding well-insulated homes now as part of heading towards a better future.

Joan Cooper

Oxfordshire

Yet again the government is hiding. No funds for people to get clothing, or nappies, or toiletries. I’m ashamed to say I’m British with a government like this. I’m more worried about the next PM though. They should call an election for everyone to decide.

Carol Johnstone

Address supplied

The well-researched article in today’s Independent regarding the delights of the Leeds suburb of Roundhay certainly does justice to today’s affluent district in the face of the unwarranted attack from Liz Truss.

With regards to Roundhay school – in 1951, when I was four, my very working class parents moved from another Leeds suburb to Roundhay, specifically to be in the catchment area of both the highly regarded Talbot Road primary school and for Roundhay school (then an all-boys grammar) itself.

To keep up to speed with all the latest opinions and comment, sign up to our free weekly Voices Dispatches newsletter by clicking here

Roundhay school, as it always has done and still does, serves not only the affluent districts to the north of the school, but also the more challenged area of Harehills to the south. My father was born there – it was still very much white working class in the 1960s and is now a vibrant multiracial society.

My two best friends at school also lived in Harehills: one became an eminent heart transplant doctor, the other (brought up by his widowed mother) an airline pilot.

So no lack of opportunity there, either. Earlier this year I visited the school for the first time since July 1965 and was amazed by the transformation both in the physical buildings and the ethos of the pupils and staff. To attack it, or the very varied areas it serves, is, at best, grossly misjudged.

Steve Broadbent

Ilkley