Tory ideology means the NHS will always be underfunded

There will never be adequate funding for the NHS from a Tory government because the ideology is to privatise whenever possible. Ten years ago I could book an online appointment with my regular doctor within the next week or two. More recently his name never registered in the period available for booking. This week there was not a single appointment with anyone available at my health centre for the whole of the next month.

When I did get an appointment, because of a cancellation, my doctor referred me for treatment, with a warning that there would be a long delay, although it could be quicker if I went private – a clear indication that if more people can be persuaded to go private, we could have a cheaper, slimmed-down NHS focused on those least able to pay.

David Buckton
Cambridge

Now is not the time to put another man on the moon

Trump’s is attempting to copy President Kennedy’s desire to get someone onto the moon within 10 years.

With the knowledge we now have of the damage done to Earth’s ecosystems and accelerating species extinctions, now is not the time to divert intellect and engineering skills to “plant our flag and footprint” on the moon. The man is deluded.

All intellect has to be concentrated on removing all plastic from oceans, reorganising economies to be more equitable, retaining ecosystems such that no species goes extinct, halting atmospheric and ocean warming within the next 10 years, to copy Kennedy’s timetable.

Robin Le Mare
Allithwaite

We are abandoning our closest trading partner

David Davis is apparently unaware that Canada is, at its nearest, some 3,000 miles from the UK, has a population of about 37 million and has a 3,000-mile land border with its major trading partner. While Japan and Korea’s joint population amounts to some 178 million, they are much further away and have major trading partners much nearer them.

The EU population excluding the UK is some 450 million and is, at its nearest, only some 30 miles away. No contest, surely! Exit from Brexit because Brexit means Wrecks It.

Michael Watson
Norwich

Apparently David Davis doesn’t need to be clever

Well, it’s a relief to have that out in the open, isn’t it! No need to be clever to lead negotiations on one of the most important and far-reaching decisions the UK has ever made. You don’t even have to know very much, least of all understand the impact of what you are doing. And provided you can string together a lot of words that somehow contrive to be less than the sum of their parts, the voters will be reassured you’re the right man for the job. After all, what could possibly go wrong?

Lynda Newbery
Bristol

We are stepping into the unknown

Can I just draw your correspondent Dr Hill’s (Letters) attention to the fact that although I agree with the point on economists and forecasting, it is a “fools errand” indeed to step into the unknown without a discernable strategy, target or plan.

When the minister leading Brexit has to have it dragged from him by a select committee that assessments that he has referred to in public previously don’t actually exist, we are on the same ground as the £350m bus. A world of obfuscation and petty lies.

It would appear that, at a time where we are making the biggest political and economic decisions in a lifetime, the Coco Pops monkey and his mates could be running the show at least as well.

My father had an expression: “Give a fool a horse, and he will ride it straight to hell.” Maybe we’ll find out how true the expression is.

John Sinclair
Pocklington

A question of faith

Why are many Americans scared of people from the Middle East, yet worship someone from the Middle East?

An enquiring mind wants to know!

Mahmoud El-Yousseph
Ohio