Readers respond to articles by Zoe Williams and Clive Lewis about the party’s popularity crisis

Zoe Williams’s conjecture that pragmatism might be the solution to Labour’s polling woes is surely a triumph of hope over experience. ( There is no denying Labour is in crisis – but in a strange way, Keir Starmer is equipped to save it, 12 March ). Disavowal of ideology in favour of pragmatism is the precise cause of the apparent aimlessness and inability to convey Labour’s mission that she describes, compounded by unforced policy errors, U-turns and poor judgment. Labour members may well be discussing whether Keir Starmer should be tacking more to the left, but the underlying question remains whether he is the right person to lead a party that needs, as she says, a complete step change in orientation in the new multiparty environment.

Unlike Andy Burnham, for example, he has shown no interest in either proportional representation or cross-party collaboration to defeat the far right. The future of both the party and country are more important than the fate of any individual leader. With electoral disaster forecast for May, Labour MPs are increasingly likely to be considering that the best medicine for the party’s current malaise might be Starmer replacement therapy.
Dr Anthony Isaacs
London

Readers respond to articles by Zoe Williams and Clive Lewis about the party’s popularity crisis

Zoe Williams’s conjecture that pragmatism might be the solution to Labour’s polling woes is surely a triumph of hope over experience. ( There is no denying Labour is in crisis – but in a strange way, Keir Starmer is equipped to save it, 12 March ). Disavowal of ideology in favour of pragmatism is the precise cause of the apparent aimlessness and inability to convey Labour’s mission that she describes, compounded by unforced policy errors, U-turns and poor judgment. Labour members may well be discussing whether Keir Starmer should be tacking more to the left, but the underlying question remains whether he is the right person to lead a party that needs, as she says, a complete step change in orientation in the new multiparty environment.

Unlike Andy Burnham, for example, he has shown no interest in either proportional representation or cross-party collaboration to defeat the far right. The future of both the party and country are more important than the fate of any individual leader. With electoral disaster forecast for May, Labour MPs are increasingly likely to be considering that the best medicine for the party’s current malaise might be Starmer replacement therapy.
Dr Anthony Isaacs
London

Readers respond to articles by Zoe Williams and Clive Lewis about the party’s popularity crisis

Zoe Williams’s conjecture that pragmatism might be the solution to Labour’s polling woes is surely a triumph of hope over experience. ( There is no denying Labour is in crisis – but in a strange way, Keir Starmer is equipped to save it, 12 March ). Disavowal of ideology in favour of pragmatism is the precise cause of the apparent aimlessness and inability to convey Labour’s mission that she describes, compounded by unforced policy errors, U-turns and poor judgment. Labour members may well be discussing whether Keir Starmer should be tacking more to the left, but the underlying question remains whether he is the right person to lead a party that needs, as she says, a complete step change in orientation in the new multiparty environment.

Unlike Andy Burnham, for example, he has shown no interest in either proportional representation or cross-party collaboration to defeat the far right. The future of both the party and country are more important than the fate of any individual leader. With electoral disaster forecast for May, Labour MPs are increasingly likely to be considering that the best medicine for the party’s current malaise might be Starmer replacement therapy.
Dr Anthony Isaacs
London

Melissa Hayhurst says the government should ensure children are getting the support they need instead of attacking the lawyers helping parents

The claim by the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, that lawyers are “exploiting” parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) is not only wrong, it is deeply insulting to the thousands of families who are forced to rely on legal advice simply to secure the support their children are already entitled to under the law ( Report, 13 March ).

I am one of those parents. My daughter Jessica has complex needs and is unable to speak or communicate. Like many families across the country, we depend on the legal protections within the Send framework to ensure that she receives the education, care and support she requires.

Melissa Hayhurst says the government should ensure children are getting the support they need instead of attacking the lawyers helping parents

The claim by the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, that lawyers are “exploiting” parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) is not only wrong, it is deeply insulting to the thousands of families who are forced to rely on legal advice simply to secure the support their children are already entitled to under the law ( Report, 13 March ).

I am one of those parents. My daughter Jessica has complex needs and is unable to speak or communicate. Like many families across the country, we depend on the legal protections within the Send framework to ensure that she receives the education, care and support she requires.

Melissa Hayhurst says the government should ensure children are getting the support they need instead of attacking the lawyers helping parents

The claim by the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, that lawyers are “exploiting” parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) is not only wrong, it is deeply insulting to the thousands of families who are forced to rely on legal advice simply to secure the support their children are already entitled to under the law ( Report, 13 March ).

I am one of those parents. My daughter Jessica has complex needs and is unable to speak or communicate. Like many families across the country, we depend on the legal protections within the Send framework to ensure that she receives the education, care and support she requires.

Sue Morgan of SongBird Survival warns of dangers such as fur left out for nesting birds by well-meaning pet owners

I was pleased to read Stephen Moss’s account of blue tits starting to sing in his garden as they gear up for nesting season ( Birdwatch: Blue tits are feisty and fascinating but often taken for granted, 11 March ). But while blue tits remain a familiar sight, they, along with many other garden birds, now face a growing number of hidden threats in the very place we imagine them to be safest: our gardens.

Scientific research funded by SongBird Survival has shown how everyday gardening choices can have serious consequences. Around a third of UK gardeners use pesticides, and our studies found that house sparrow numbers, for example, were nearly 40% lower in gardens where the pesticide metaldehyde was used.

Sue Morgan of SongBird Survival warns of dangers such as fur left out for nesting birds by well-meaning pet owners

I was pleased to read Stephen Moss’s account of blue tits starting to sing in his garden as they gear up for nesting season ( Birdwatch: Blue tits are feisty and fascinating but often taken for granted, 11 March ). But while blue tits remain a familiar sight, they, along with many other garden birds, now face a growing number of hidden threats in the very place we imagine them to be safest: our gardens.

Scientific research funded by SongBird Survival has shown how everyday gardening choices can have serious consequences. Around a third of UK gardeners use pesticides, and our studies found that house sparrow numbers, for example, were nearly 40% lower in gardens where the pesticide metaldehyde was used.

Sue Morgan of SongBird Survival warns of dangers such as fur left out for nesting birds by well-meaning pet owners

I was pleased to read Stephen Moss’s account of blue tits starting to sing in his garden as they gear up for nesting season ( Birdwatch: Blue tits are feisty and fascinating but often taken for granted, 11 March ). But while blue tits remain a familiar sight, they, along with many other garden birds, now face a growing number of hidden threats in the very place we imagine them to be safest: our gardens.

Scientific research funded by SongBird Survival has shown how everyday gardening choices can have serious consequences. Around a third of UK gardeners use pesticides, and our studies found that house sparrow numbers, for example, were nearly 40% lower in gardens where the pesticide metaldehyde was used.