With a growing list of problems and a diminishing list of ideas, the Tories are resorting to extremes

Ah yes, the thought of a referendum on climate change warms the cockles of your heart, doesn’t it?

In all honesty, I’ve seen copious calls for this insanity way before yesterday’s editorial. We can thank David Cameron for empowering every lazy populist who now thinks referendums are the route to their nirvana. Another example of the law of unintended consequences.

Fast on their heels are calls for referendums on (in no particular order) abortion rights, gun ownership deregulation, leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, and last, but not least, leaving the World Health Organisation – anti-vaxxers’ latest hobby-horse.

It is easy to dismiss this phenomenon as an annoying peripheral distraction with zero chance of ever happening. But that is what people said about our vote to leave the EU. As the Conservative government limps on with a growing list of problems and a diminishing list of sensible ideas, they might just resort to one or two extreme promises – if they think it will get them the vote next year.

If every bonkers referendum was called by the more extreme elements in Mr Sunak’s party, then it would start to look very grim indeed for the UK.

Robert Boston

Kent

If Michael Gove is really serious about levelling up and providing proper homes for everyone who needs them, then why on earth doesn’t he do something about the hundreds of thousands of empty and dilapidated properties throughout the UK?

Central government should immediately bring in a law which states that any property left in a state of disrepair for more than six months, or those that are left without any repair work being carried out for six months, should be automatically forfeited without compensation to the local councils, for them to do with as they wish. They could either do them up and let them out to homeless families at reasonable rents or sell them off to builders to do the same.

The doubling of council tax on all second homes is a great idea, but why not make it a tenfold increase, which would provide much more income for councils to provide homes for those who need them?

Edward Lyon

Isle of Wight

I read with interest The Independent’s article on recent bank profits. Like James Moore, I suspect the tardiness in passing on savings will always be present. However, the key is to make sure it is as easy as possible to switch between accounts, something that seems to elude us as customers. Changing bank accounts can be perceived as a significant task, with complex jargon against ever more complex products. After all, we wouldn’t need price comparison sites if it were easy.

The FCA should concentrate on barriers to switching, rather than suggesting banks “prompt” customers to change products (which will be lip service at best).

Banks are businesses and as such what will hurt them is people taking their custom elsewhere. After all, isn’t that what we supposedly want as the key driver for our country’s market forces? Time we use them the way they use us.

Laura Dawson

Harpenden

Attempts by banks to don a moral mantle, freezing the bank accounts of sex workers, plumb the depths of hypocrisy. They were screwing everybody in Britain for years before many of their new targets had even begun sex work.

The banks have been accused of handling cash from Russian oligarchs, fraudsters, and criminals. They likely also service those involved in the colossal online porn industry without complaint; quite apart from contriving to turn Nigel Farage into a figure of sympathy by their po-faced moral posturing. Someone needs to tell them that their business is finance. If their clients’ work is legal, they have no business seeking to use it for the purpose of moral pretension.

Peter Millen

Huddersfield

While it might make no sense whatsoever to those campaigning for the immediate and unconditional elimination of oil and gas as our prime energy source, for the government to issue licences to open up more oil and gas fields, surely there are some short-term benefits?

However fervently green campaigners want us all to switch now and buy new battery cars, new heat pumps, and new solar panels they must be able to understand that there are millions in this country who do not have the huge financial resources to do this. It’s impossibly expensive for those on pensions, benefits, and minimum wage to even consider these options.

While we slowly transition to renewables we shall need oil and gas to keep the heating on and get to work. With endless world turmoil and the likelihood of increased conflict, it makes sense to regain some control and autonomy over our energy sources. Frankly, anyone who imagines Vladimir Putin can’t and won’t turn the taps off if he chooses is deluding themselves. Sunak is an easy target and his decision to open up oilfields is causing apoplexy in environmental circles but there is a bigger picture and I’m one who’s in it!

Steve Mackinder

Denver