My generation abhors the government

In response to Ed Dorrell’s “Five reasons why no people under 60 like the Tories”: his points chime exactly with the reasons why those of my contemporaries (over 70) also abhor the party of government; in particular, because of the short-sightedness that is impacting on – and will continue to damage the futures of – the generations that will follow our own.

Graham Powell

Cirencester

Maybe an appropriate response to the crass, racist questioning of Ngozi Fulani subjected repeatedly to the question “Where are you from?”, would have been “Planet Earth, my lady, but which planet are you from?”

John Dillon

Northfield

I have not met Lady Susan Hussey or Ngozi Fulani and to rationalise the exchange between at them the recent royal reception at Buckingham Palace I would need to have been present. It could have been: a) a deliberate and patronising question from someone clearly making racist remarks, or b) someone steeped in bygone traditions of class and privilege and unable to understand what belonging to a country actually means today.

Had I been witness to it, I would have assessed the tenor of the exchange as a or b. Without that I conclude that they were both wrong: Lady Hussey for manifesting her ignorance and Ngozi Fulani for not recognising the frailty of those still unable to grasp reality and responding with clarity and understanding of such as she must have done on many similar exchanges in the past.

Mike Dodds

London

I loved Simon Calder’s newsletter comparing 2022 with 1972! In particular, I liked Simon’s reference to the lovely Nicholas Saunders, author of Alternative London and also the Survival Guide. He was my landlord in Earl’s Court then, where about six of us shared the house (brightly painted red and yellow). I recall earning some extra cash by hawking his Alternative London books around student halls. Your reference was a fond reminder of him – sadly I believe he died in a car crash in South Africa. Incidentally, our house was on the same electrical circuit as the maternity hospital on the opposite corner which meant that during the “three hours on, three hours off” of power we were the only house in the street with lights on! Thanks for the memories, Simon.

Gillian Main

Crowborough

Regarding your recent article on Addams Family spin-off Wednesday. I love this show more than anything on TV at the moment. Wednesday’s character is played so well by Jenna Ortega. From her lines to her mannerisms, it’s a pleasure to watch. It’s definitely not a “background” series for me: I was glued to the TV, and I’m sure many other viewers were too.

I really don’t think your article needed to be so negative.

Nikola Kateee

Address supplied

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

The closure of 114 HSBC branches comes as no surprise. People are changing the way they bank, not only looking for increasingly digital services, but demanding more from those who look after their money.

For over a century, industry barriers have allowed banks to become complacent at the expense of customer losses and harm to the planet. Consumers value trust, which means we need to provide banking services that help improve their financial wellbeing and champion values that they can identify with. Banks that give customers more financial independence and control, improving the relationship people have with their money, will come out on top.

The banking world is shifting, and customer expectations are rising. Not only do banks need to provide services that are convenient, personalised, and intuitive, but prove to customers that they genuinely have their backs.

Nazim Valimahomed, co-founder of digital bank Kroo

London