Nicola Sturgeon speaks for most Scots with her view on the Tories

When Nicola Sturgeon says she detests the Tories, I think she speaks for most Scots. When Liz Truss snubs and insults the Scottish electorate, the Tories think that’s acceptable.

There is no wonder Scotland wants independence. This Tory government is a disgrace.

Susan Lammin

Dumfries

In the surreal world that now presents itself as UK politics, I have had a nagging feeling over the last few months of deja vu. I have finally identified the origin of this feeling – The Wizard of Oz!

The Munchkins eventually realise that the Wizard is a fraud and a conman. When exposed as the pompous windbag that he is, he agrees to leave and departs on a self-generated hot air balloon. At a complete loss, the Munchkins turn to Dorothy as their saviour and hope for the future. Little do they realise that she has not the slightest idea of where she is or where she is going. She surrounds herself with her friends, the Heartless, the Brainless and the Timid and tries to find a way back home.

Time to wake up from the dream, Liz! This isn’t Kansas, it’s Britain in the 21st century and the last thing we need is a financial whirlwind laying waste to our land.

John Dillon

Birmingham

How can the government justify parliament’s subsidised meals for sitting MPs when children are going hungry and the quality of school meals is being reduced?

Margaret Large

Derbyshire

After PM Liz Truss admits that her unfunded tax cuts benefit the rich while the poor get poorer, it is not surprising that she favours fossil fuel giants over people. That is why she plans to scrap hundreds of laws protecting the environment and is going ahead with oil and gas licences, has plans for coal mining and put fracking back on the agenda.

The oil and gas licences in the North Sea are enraging international climate scientists who argue it will eliminate our chances of keeping global temperature rises under 1.5C. The plans for a coal mine in Cumbria have turned into a global political row. Fracking will not work in England because it triggers earthquakes and is associated with an increase in cancer cases.

Fossil fuels pollute our air, cause global warming and damage our health, resulting in early death, heart attacks, strokes, asthma and cancer. None of these solutions will help us with the soaring energy bills, they only profit the fossil fuel companies.

The NHS declared a national emergency in July 2022 during the record-breaking heatwave due to global warming. Three thousand more deaths than usual were reported in England this summer when temperatures hit record highs of over 40C, overwhelming the NHS and putting patients at risk.

This is a stark reminder that the government policies are damaging the environment, endangering our lives and making us poorer while the rich get richer.

Jeannette Schael

Tadley

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Hamish McRae writes a good piece about the failures of now four Tory governments, but easily falls into the same depressing trap as so many current commentators.

He claims there is no point in trying to rerun the whole Brexit “thing” – whatever that might be – but then immediately contradicts his own argument by rhetorically asking “why exports are allowed to be held up by bureaucratic barriers”.

His next paragraph should have immediately focussed the re-entry to the single market at the very least as the most obvious answer to his question.

All the polls point to this being a most favoured option by a majority of voters.

John Evans

Pulborough