Advertisement

Trump’s interference in UK political affairs

Your article (Trump tells Johnson and Farage to team up, 1 November) made disturbing reading. We rightly resent and complain against Russian or Chinese interferences with our elections. Donald Trump’s, by contrast, is blatant, aggressive, and affects not only the mechanism of election but its very structure, including who should form alliances with whom. This deserves the severest rebuke to the president.

It is possible that Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson dislike Jeremy Corbyn. However, one would have thought that they would respect and love their country enough not to have it interfered with in this way. One very much hopes that they will condemn this interference as loudly and as unambiguously as they have condemned other foreign interferences with our democracy.
Bhikhu Parekh
Labour, House of Lords

• Donald Trump’s intervention into UK domestic affairs reminds me of another American who dared to so venture, a few days before the 1975 EU referendum. Spectators gathered at Wembley to watch Evel Knievel jump his bike over 13 London buses, a perfect Roman circus-type escape from the nightmare of 25% inflation. First, Knievel took the microphone to warn parents and children alike on the danger of drugs, to warm applause. Then, the mistake: urging the UK to remain in the EU. What business was it of his, we muttered? As he repeatedly rehearsed his approach run, we lost patience, shouting: “Get on with it!” He did, and crashed. From the ambulance, he told us we would be the last to see him jump. By then, most had left. Did we care? Mr Trump, don’t try it again.
David Wardrop
London

• Re Trump using an interview with Nigel Farage on LBC Radio to promote cooperation between the Brexit party and the Tories, why is it that Farage is allowed his own political radio programme during a general election campaign?
John Amos
Hove

• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com

• Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters

• Do you have a photo you’d like to share with Guardian readers? Click here to upload it and we’ll publish the best submissions in the letters spread of our print edition