How can the same people who are pro-life also be pro-gun?

I truly appreciated Victoria Richards’ recent article and completely agree. I have another question/observation; the same pro-gun people are also pro-life. So from what I understand, they believe on the one hand that life begins at inception and needs protection. However, on the other hand, it isn’t necessary to protect children from automatic weapons in their schools, and should they get killed as a result of someone legally acquiring guns, then that is completely acceptable.

Am I confused?

Gary Olson

New York

The prime minister and the leader of the opposition are trying hard to boost their popularity.

Rishi Sunak is introducing pension tax breaks for the wealthy and new draconian measures for vulnerable Channel migrants. Keir Starmer meanwhile is introducing a ban on the previous leader of his party from standing again as a Labour MP.

With such well-thought-through policies, it may be a close contest as to who wins the hearts and minds of the country.

Bambos Charalambous

Manchester

One or another of the members of our Dickensian government would appear to have watched the first episode of the BBC’s melodramatic take on Great Expectations on Sunday evening and decided that prison hulks are the answer to Tory prayers.

How else can one explain the callous cruelty of moving traumatised asylum-seekers from hotels to be housed in “barges” while our government tries to find legal ways to get rid of them?

One can only hope that this transparent attempt to win votes in the upcoming local elections backfires as spectacularly as it deserves to.

D Maughan Brown

York

Keith Poole in his recent letter to The Independent calls for a safe and legal route for migrants to come to the UK which he assumes would reduce the number of people being smuggled here by traffickers. One might also assume that those still choosing to arrive on our shores via illegal small boats choose to do so because they knew they hadn’t a real legitimate case for asylum here and consequently could expect immediate deportation.

He makes an interesting case for allowing asylum seekers an official channel to come here from France but still the issue of accommodating these new arrivals remains. We are a crowded island with an already pressured and failing social, health, and housing provision. No doubt these new arrivals will expect a warm roof over their heads and a GP, dentist, school places, and all the other necessities which are already in short supply.

For those languishing in pain or discomfort awaiting NHS treatment the very last thing they’ll want to see is any more pressure on the current six million people on the waiting list.

The UK remains a humane and welcoming nation, but we must not forget our own citizens already in need of help and compassion while acknowledging our duty to embrace the lost and dispossessed. I’d suggest encouraging any more people to cross the Channel by offering them all safe and easy access from France makes absolutely no sense at all.

Steve Mackinder

Denver

I was genuinely shocked and saddened to hear the news that Paul O’Grady has died. Although I am far from a television addict I distinctly remember Lily Savage on our screens probably over 30 years ago now.

To show how good the portrayal was, over the last decade or so when Paul was on our screens as himself I had to remind myself he was, in fact, Lily Savage. I’m sure many casual viewers years ago only identified the TV star as Lily Savage, not Paul.

It just goes to show the pointless insanity of these unhinged individuals campaigning against drag queens! They’ve always been with us (women dressing as men also) and not even extremists harangued them before these contrived modern culture wars took off.

Robert Boston

Kingshill