Rishi Sunak needs to put an end to the Tory turmoil

The Conservative Party is now in more turmoil and chaos than ever before, with no chance of winning the next general election. Rishi Sunak should take this as an opportunity to retrench and consolidate, to expel the far-right fringe and anyone else who refuses to toe his pragmatic and sensible line.

The party would, of course, be smaller but it would be more cohesive and manageable, and would gradually rebuild in strength by welcoming back those disillusioned by the David Cameron, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss years of lunacy.

I shall never vote Tory but democracy needs a realistic and robust opposition, which I regret we shall not have after the next (hopefully imminent) general election.

Tim Sidaway

Hertfordshire

And take Brexit with you! When Nigel Farage admits leaving the EU has failed the people, what further proof do we need to rid ourselves of the Boris gang who shop at Trussco, because every wreckage helps!

Collin Rossini

Essex

The Independent’s recent editorial suggests that the world has moved on from the likes of Boris Johnson. It would appear that the Tory party cannot.

His advocacy of Brexit, its implementation in the fictitious oven-ready deal, covid mismanagement, and all points in between, was facilitated by the party that appointed and sustained him. He was regarded by them as “a winner” on the basis of his electoral prowess, which is now recognised as a euphemism for unconscionable lies. They were happy to accept them.

Recognising that he was a liability, the Tory party belatedly gave him the boot only to appoint, without reference to the electorate, a new prime minister, the ephemeral and damaging farce that was Liz Truss. The public understands all too well the painful consequences of that choice.

They then appointed, again without reference to the electorate, the continuation candidate and Johnson’s former chancellor Rishi Sunak who, having only very recently surpassed a lettuce, gave a principled inaugural address that evaporated into thin air. His five-point plan, already frayed at the edges, seems likely to follow.

It is not just Johnson who is no longer credible. It is his party. They can divorce him but not themselves. They will find the next general election somewhat testing.

David Nelmes

Newport

Ofsted has announced changes to its procedures following the tragedy at Caversham Primary School. Amidst these is the proposal to make a second visit to schools rated “inadequate”, due to gaps in safeguarding procedures, three months after the first.

As it stands, the whole school judgement is downgraded to “inadequate”, regardless of “good” or “outstanding” judgements in other areas, when safeguarding is considered poor. Under these new proposals, children will be left exposed to threats to their safety for three months while Ofsted busies itself elsewhere.

Surely the government should fund an Ofsted team with the capacity to immediately work with the school to correct urgent failings and secure the children’s safety. It could be done in days and there would be no need for this punitive nonsense about downgrading otherwise good and outstanding schools.

David Lowndes

Southampton