Every day is a bad day for Theresa May

Why John Rentoul should think that Wednesday this week was an especially “embarrassing day for Theresa May” beggars belief. Admittedly she carelessly answered “yes” to Corbyn’s request that she “pause universal credit”, and her Government agreed to last week’s Labour demand for a “freephone helpline for claimants”. There was also the expectation that Tory MPs be “instructed not to take part in the vote” at the end of the universal credit debate, but whether this makes for a particularly bad day for May is doubtful.

We have a Prime Minister so divorced from reality she recently made a statement claiming that there is a “great prize” awaiting us after Brexit, when the UK will become a “great global country”! Theresa May even admitted she thinks she will still be Tory leader in 2022! How embarrassing can she get?

Her Government’s uselessness in foreign affairs results in arms being sold for use in Yemen, and offers nothing to ameliorate political and humanitarian catastrophes. Sucking up to Trump, rather than criticising him for his crassness, goes a step further than shame and humiliation.

At home, shortages of hospital beds, teachers, GPs and nurses, prison and police officers, firefighters, food and buildings’ inspectors, HMRC staff and more, exacerbate problems caused by decreased funding for local authorities, and the many caused by Government-enforced austerity policies and real-wage cuts. If she is not embarrassed by all of this, she should be ashamed of herself.

One of the troubles is that May’s rhetoric knows no bounds, and ever since the Downing Street speech in July last year, she has done nothing to lead a Government “driven” by any interests other than those “of the privileged few”. The “burning injustice” that is the lack of parity funding “between the South-east and the North”, amounting to £59bn over 10 years, is not going to be remedied by her Government with a record of disastrous cost-cutting, and which has already committed to Crossrail 2, rather than the electrification schemes across the North, which were promised in the Tory manifesto.

History shows that the Conservative Party is based on preserving the riches, property and benefits enjoyed by the wealthy, who in return become party donors. Businesses have their regulations reduced by Conservative governments so that they can make more profits, and in return, help to fund the party.

As a result, corporate excess, greedy landlordism and lack of sufficient regulation on the financial sector are problems never likely to be tackled by May’s Government. Every day in office is an embarrassment, and Wednesday was no more degrading than any other day!

Bernie Evans
Liverpool

As an ex-doctor, I also see the NHS crumbling

I agree with everything your columnist Novika Ramaiya says about the misery of working in what is left of the NHS.

Unlike the writer, I don’t have to hide behind a pseudonym as I have just retired and need fear no reprisals. I signed up even longer ago in 1978 so have seen even more deterioration over the years.

There is a big difference between running a health service in a businesslike way, and running a business that incidentally provides health services while maximising profits for all the management consultants, PFI parasites, outsourcing contractors and car parking forms who are skimming millions out of the public funds. Sadly we are now in the latter scenario.

Mike Margetts
Kilsby

Theresa May’s olive branch to EU nationals is meaningless

The letter sent by Theresa May to EU citizens reassuring them they will be able to stay in the UK after Brexit is a meaningless gimmick, and a desperate attempt to smoke-screen the current reality for the three million people currently affected by uncertainty.

Last week during an interview on LBC she refused to be drawn on whether EU citizens would be “guaranteed” to stay in the UK if there was no deal.

A hundred EU citizens were sent letters by the Home Office telling them that they should go home. Children who have spent almost their entire childhood in this country have been denied permanent residency because they cannot prove they have lived in the UK!

Theresa May then goes on to claim that there was never an intention to use “EU citizens” as bargaining chips. Yet Liam Fox himself described the three million citizens as one of the UK’s “main cards” in our negotiations with the EU. The Prime Minister was the only cabinet member who was against giving a unilateral guarantee to EU citizens in the UK last June according to George Osborne.

Groups campaigning for the rights of British citizens living in the EU have made their views clear – enough of the talking. The Government needs to give an unequivocal, unilateral guarantee to EU citizens in the UK to best protect their rights as expats.

Those MPs, council leaders and journalists who advocated Brexit have a moral duty to call on the Government to give guarantees to EU nationals living in the UK. You wanted and campaigned for this change so it is your duty to help those most directly impacted by it.

Chris Key
East Twickenham

Why did they charge for the universal credit hotline in the first place?

And so Theresa May yields to pressure and makes claimants’ enquiries via the universal credit hotline free of charge. Rightly so.

The question remains however: why was a premium rate line set up in the first place?

The only answer can be that the intention was both to deter claimants from making enquiries and or challenging unfair decisions in the first place, and to profit from those who had the temerity to call despite the call charge.

This is no way to treat people in financial difficulty. It shows a Government that is callous and cruel to its core.

Joe Hennessy
Address supplied

Has Vince Cable forgotten all about the coalition?

A nasty smell of hypocrisy hangs around the article by Vince Cable on the high level of personal debt. After all this is the man who broke his own promise not to raise student loans and thus saddling graduates with huge debt before they even start work!

Talk about pots and kettles!

Nigel Groom
Witham

The EU needs Brexit

The EU has many faults but at the same time, thanks to the EU, member states have some of the best standards of living in the world; considering income, quality of health, services, education and security.

EU bureaucracy may be excessive but at least citizens are guaranteed quality food in supermarkets. The EU bill might be excessive but there is in general an overall benefit for all who pay it.

The EU needs Brexit. It needs a Brexit without a deal to prevent any further member countries adopting the same strategy. So far this has worked in that a smooth exit is completely off the table. Even populist parties have changed their attitude.

The EU needs Brexit as a case to test its resilience. This test will determine sooner rather than later if the EU is a viable and sustainable political and economic entity. Its ability to deal with the disturbance caused by Brexit will be fundamental for its long-term existence and strengthens its governance.

Pino Villa
Address supplied