The work of the metropolitan police is to serve us Metropolitan police

The suppression of the protest at the coronation is not the only example of the increasing politicization of the actions of the metropolitan police (“Faced with accusations of siding with a right-wing group in an anti-hauling protest“, News).

The argument that officers wearing thin blue line badges are merely demonstrating camaraderie ignores criticism of the content of that camaraderie. Even if the Met wants to bury its head in the sand over the white nationalistic connotations of the thin blue line in the US, it should ask itself whether the symbol is the same as policing for Londoners. The whole point of the thin blue line avatar is that it encapsulates the idea that the police are society’s last defense against anarchy. It means strength, not service.
Liz Feketedirector of the Institute of Race Relations
London WC1

Sonia Sodha makes a very good point (“The police are suppressing free speech, and not just at the behest of the right“, comment). The problem with the Public Order Act, and the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act before it, is not so much that these laws target one particular group of people, be it “wokerats” or right-wing extremists.

The point is that both acts empower the executive branch of the state to radically limit basic citizen and human rights, such as the right to protest/freedom of speech, without additional scrutiny from parliament or even the courts. The separation of powers and the recognition of the rights of citizens are constitutional principles for a reason, the purpose of which is to protect citizens from such abuses of power by the state as we have seen in the past few days. Such police laws should be a hallmark of authoritarian states, not democracies like the UK.
Michel Bastian
Cologne, Germany

Beware of political pests

Will Hutton is right to recognize the importance of the political narrative (“Biden knows this, as does Zelensky: success depends on telling the right story“, comment). But the narrator is no less important. It’s great how Biden has used his life as a professional politician to his advantage. In Britain and America, politicians fall into two distinct camps: those who break things and those who know how to clean up. Pests are a way to drive change, but pests rarely know when to stop.
Tom Parkin
Sheffield

On the wrong track

Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, says: “Whatever you think of us [Aslef train drivers, presumably]”we went to work when everyone was on Zoom” (Business profile,). Everyone else? Well, apart from the nurses; and paramedics; and garbage collectors; oh, and emergency electricians; and supermarket staff. Do I need to continue? If you want to gain public support, Mr. Whelan, start by acknowledging the risk to your own life that many people take, often for wages far below their worth.
Jennifer Towland
Farringdon, Oxfordshire

I’ll tell you what’s moving…

I’d like to let Rachel Cook know that I’m not an algorithm, I’m not half-dead, and I’m not stone-hearted (“It was wonderful, it was funny, and finally, this necromancy was irresistible“, News).

I am excited by the report written by Gordon Brown about the millions of people who rely on food banks to supplement inadequately low benefits (Comment). I am moved by the plight of thousands of people who have been left alone by austerity cuts which have led to the closure of libraries, swimming pools and youth centers (Yvonne Roberts, Commentary).

I can think of many better ways to spend over £200 million than on a coronation. How many leaky roofs in our schools and hospitals could have been repaired? Why didn’t King Charles pay for the coronation himself with his profits?
Linda Theobald
London NW9

Clean on cobalt?

John Naughton repeats the mantra that electric cars use cobalt (“I’m glad you bought an electric car. But there is no need to pretend that your conscience is clear“, Network, New review). Cobalt is also used to make airbags in cars, catalysts for the oil and chemical industries, and a number of other industrial processes, including paint dryers. So, yes, the conditions in the Democratic Republic of Congo need to be brought to the fore, but that is a separate issue. Cobalt mining didn’t garner much attention until the oil industry began its fight against electric vehicles.
Carol Dee
Paraparaumu, New Zealand

Oh, Vienna

Full credit to Kenan Malik for highlighting the fact that it is possible to create decent homes for all (“If you think decent homes for all are an impossible dream, look no further than Vienna“, comment). Perhaps he could also highlight the fact that most pensioners in Vienna retire on 80% of their lifetime earnings; that the people of Vienna have access to an excellent public transport system, which costs €365 (£319) for an annual pass, which is €1 a day; that well-run nursing homes are accessible to ordinary people.

It can be done, but not by this UK government, I’m afraid.
David Gardner
Leicester

Training is a top priority

In response to last week’s article on the Government’s skills policy (“Tory youth training policy is a right royal mess”, Business), equipping young people with the skills they need for employment is a top priority. We are continuing to roll out first class technical courses, T levels, to help more young people gain the skills they need to progress to higher wages.

More under-25s are also taking up apprenticeships, now accounting for more than half of all those choosing this route. Around 92% of apprentices go on to work or further education, with 90% going on to work, and we work with Ucas to enable people to apply for apprenticeships alongside their degrees.

The commentary says the tuition fee is “complicated and misused”, but its success has helped us increase the apprenticeship budget to £2.7 billion a year by 2024-25. In the 2021/22 financial year, 99.6% of the budget was spent on supporting employers to benefit from the high-quality training that apprenticeships offer. It is vital that the next generation feels confident in the training available to help them build prosperous and fulfilling careers.
Robert Halfon MPMinister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education
London SW1