The Reader: British Steel betrayed by the Conservatives

I have voted Conservative all my life but as someone heavily involved in the maritime industry I have never forgiven the Tories for letting the shipyards close.

The failure to support British Steel is a step too far. The examples across Europe of Italy, France and Germany artificially supporting their steel and coal industries are well documented. As we may actually leave the EU some time soon I cannot understand how we should be troubled by regulations that may not concern us in the future. We have moved a long way from state-owned monoliths and the case for not being dependant on foreign imports for vital infrastructure is a strong one. The Government is behaving thoughtlessly on this.
Mark Seward

British Steel has been in trouble for a very long time and it has done its best to survive in an ever- slimmed-down form. That is not to say its collapse isn’t very harsh on all employees involved.
Tony Goss

EDITOR'S REPLY

Dear Mark and Tony,

First and foremost, the collapse of British Steel is a tragedy for the 5,000 workers directly employed by the business.

Second, this saga once again throws light on the wisdom of selling large, complex and, in this case, strategically important, companies to inexperienced financial owners.

The question of whether the state should prop up British Steel is a tougher one. Its challenges are long-term and structural, although made worse by the chaos of Brexit.

Unlike the banking sector in 2008, the failure of British Steel, sad though it is, does not represent a systemic threat to the British economy. The best outcome would for a new, credible private-sector owner to take over British Steel and offer it the second chance that it deserves.

Jonathan Prynn, Consumer Business Affairs Editor

Cyclists should go slow in the park

I have sympathy for the cyclist in Richmond Park who broke his pelvis after colliding with a deer [“Olympic triathlete shatters pelvis after deer sends him flying on bike ride”, May 22]. Cyclists, motorists and runners know how deer can appear out of nowhere.

And while I have no problem with the increase in recent years of runners and cyclists, it has become a nightmare for motorists, including those who try to respect the rights of everyone to use and enjoy our parks. The reduction in the speed limit from 30 to 20mph has not helped.

Unfortunately, this has led to motorists vying with cyclists who they overtake going up the hill and then fly past seconds later on the downhill run — until the next hill. At 30mph a motorist could usually get ahead and stay ahead.

Isn’t it high time cyclists realised that the 20mph limit applies to them also? I’d be surprised if, in this case, the cyclist had not been doing well in excess of 30mph. A motorist hitting a deer at that speed would be investigated and probably charged.
Alex Duncan

More charging points now, please

Your editorial [“Car charging needs a boost,” May 21] is right to question why it’s so tricky to find a charging point. More direct and ambitious action is needed. That means meeting the need where the market will not deliver in the short term; getting local authorities to identify where chargers could most usefully be provided and making the spaces available for them; subsidising the provision of rapid charging points in remote areas by 2022; and Ofgem removing barriers to connecting to the network.

We have made these recommendations to the Chancellor. He needs to charge up Britain.
Bridget Rosewell​
National Infrastructure Commission

Suffering May got my sympathy vote

For months I have felt much sympathy for our Prime Minister for all that she has had to endure, as I am quite sure that another PM would be going through the same.

A question requiring a Yes or No answer is quite simple but a deal for exiting the European Union — when everyone has so many different perspectives — is almost impossible, unless fellow MPs show some kindness, humanity etc.

I voted Conservative in the European elections, mainly to show sympathy for May.
Doreen Mackay