Liz Truss’s private jet is a kick in the teeth for those struggling to pay their bills

Liz Truss chartered a private jet at the taxpayers’ expense costing half a million pounds for a trip to Australia. Does Ms Truss think she is presidential material, or is she trying to compete with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle? Either way, it’s a disgusting kick in the teeth to everyone struggling to pay their bills. That money could have been spent on social care. Shame on you Ms Truss. That’s surely blown your chances of succeeding Boris Johnson?

Helen Rowland

Essex

The trade deal struck with Australia is a terrible outcome for our farmers and their animals. We are going to allow far lower welfare standards from importers than we impose on ourselves.

Australia allows higher use of antibiotics, uses barren battery cages, forces cows to live in stalls barely larger than themselves for weeks while weaning, and cuts flesh from sheep and lambs’ back ends without anaesthetic. Would our farmers have to adopt similarly abusive methods to remain competitive?

If this is to be tolerated, we are betraying the long fought-for standards we currently have. There’s no point bringing in new welfare laws such as banning live exports while allowing this. The US and Brazil are waiting in the wings, allegedly with even worse intentions.

We should insist that any further deals meet our current standards. Brexit shouldn’t mean there are no regulations, no standards and no principles. Our animal welfare standards will go the same way as the quality of our waterways. I could weep.

Lynn Brymer

Kent

I’m not above indulging in the occasional alcoholic tipple, but that’s just because I like the taste. On other occasions, I might enjoy a cup of tea. The trouble with alcohol is that because it’s potentially a damaging drug, it’s not legal to sell or give it to children. Being allowed to consume it has become one of society’s rites of passage into adulthood.

People who opt to drink excessively or at inappropriate times are merely trying to prove that they are grown-ups and paid-up members of whichever tribe they aspire to. Perhaps the Downing Street revellers chose to indulge in the legal drug, or maybe some of them felt coerced. But clearly, they were all confident they were unlikely to be censured by the person in charge.

We, the electorate, do not need Sue Gray or Cressida Dick to point out to us that the prime minister is an irresponsible adolescent who should not be in charge of a toddler’s swing, let alone a country.

Susan Alexander

South Gloucestershire

Boris Johnson has bluffed his way through life, putting his foot in his mouth in regards to Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, insulting Muslim women and singing a colonial ditty in Myanmar. French president Emmanuel Macron was criticised by the Tories for calling him a clown – though we all call him that here. He has turned UK politics into a global joke and now he is going to talk to Putin about Ukraine. What could possibly go wrong?

Amanda baker

Edinburgh

According to Jacob Rees-Mogg, we are moving to a presidential system, which he seems insouciant about. Has anyone informed the Queen? I had failed to spot that the Conservatives are now a republican outfit. Perhaps this is the inevitable consequence of an electoral system that is not fit for purpose.

Philip de Jonge

Haslemere