Letters: A Sunak sceptic won over by the Prime Minister’s pragmatic approach

SIR – The Prime Minister’s speech was bereft of ideology, lacking in long-term vision and far removed from the traditional Conservative principles of small government, low taxation and wealth creation.

It was, however, pragmatic, responsible and an example of accountable leadership. Moreover, his five key pledges correlate exactly with the primary concerns of most swing voters, who decide elections.

In a few weeks, Rishi Sunak – to my surprise – has steadied the ship, settled the markets and improved the Conservatives’ political position. He appears to possess that rare combination of qualities in a leader: confidence, eloquence, composure, mastery of detail and likeability. He deserves the support of all Conservatives, who should focus their fire on the big-state, even-higher-tax, eco-fanatical, class-warmongering opposition parties, all of which would make Britain’s problems much worse.

Philip Duly
Haslemere, Surrey

SIR – The Prime Minister’s speech did not demonstrate a “vision” (Leading Article, December 5). It simply reiterated what other recent Conservative leaders have said.

A vision would involve setting out how the country is going to look in the future, for our children and grandchildren, and how we are going to get there.

Rishi Sunak, by contrast, just offers managed decline.

Philip Hall
Petersfield, Hampshire

SIR – I am dismayed by the performance of Rishi Sunak, and the fact that he was selected as Conservative leader in the first place.

During my career in business it was nearly always the beginning of the end when an accountant got the top job. While Mr Sunak may be good with numbers, there is a lack of strategy, vision, leadership, creativity, risk-taking and enthusiasm.

Nor does he appear to have the ability to galvanise people to believe in the direction he wishes to take. We need a dynamic and visible leader to lift the country out of its present malaise.

David Coverdale
Leeds, West Yorkshire

SIR – Both Rishi Sunak and Sir Keiier Starmer have now offered their cures for our ills, but neither has given any real detail.

The present Cabinet does not have a member who has shown genuine competence in their role, and the Opposition front bench is no better.

How, therefore, can we be expected to believe anything these two leaders say?

Carmichael A Thomas
Wellingborough, Northamptonshire

SIR – “Starmer: We’re no longer the party of big spending” (report, January 5).

Leopard vows to change spots. Villagers sceptical.

Ron Freedman
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Elgin Marbles’ home

SIR – David Abulafia (Comment, January 5) provides a welcome riposte to the cultural vandals who fail to appreciate that the Elgin Marbles are the property of humanity, not nations, and must remain in the care of those most likely to ensure their preservation for future generations.

The British Museum is a great modern wonder. Anyone can enter, free of charge, and come away greatly enriched by the experience.

Mark Boyle
Johnstone, Renfrewshire

SIR – It is welcome news that the Elgin Marbles may be subject to a loan agreement with Greece.

I was also interested to learn that a 3D recreation of part of marbles has been achieved by the Institute for Digital Archaeology. However, its director, Roger Michel, is mistaken in describing the marbles as “plunder”.

The facts are: in 1800 Athens was under the control of Turkey, not Greece. The Parthenon had been a munitions dump and Turkish workmen were grinding down the marbles to make mortar. Lord Elgin, recognising their priceless heritage, negotiated the release of a section and a number of carved figures (at his own expense). Without him, the marbles would not exist today.

Alisdair Low
Ramsdean, Hampshire

Old schools vie

SIR – Robin Price (Letters, January 5) takes issue with Ed Cumming’s description of Sherborne as a “minor public school” (Features, January 4).

Sherborne may or may not be minor. However, only seven public schools were acknowledged in the Public Schools Act of 1868. Sherborne is not one of them.

Andrew Wauchope
London SE11

SIR – When on the touchline watching a Harrow v Eton 1st XV Rugby Match, I frequently overheard Harrow being referred to as a “minor public school” – usually when Eton was losing.

Penny French
Pinner, Middlesex

Festive thrift

SIR – My mother didn’t just recycle Christmas cards as gift tags (Letters, January 4); she used a flat iron, heated on the Rayburn, to iron the Christmas wrapping paper for reuse next year.

Jeff Smith
Abergavenny, Monmouthshire

NHS overhaul

SIR – When the NHS (Letters, January 5) is working it is outstanding. I speak from experience, having recently been diagnosed with cancer and two possible secondaries.

A great deal has been written about the ills of the NHS but little about solutions, though much could be done, and quickly. For instance:

1. Conduct a review of world health systems, including structure, cost and staffing. This should be carried out by a team drawn from industry and the military. No present Civil Service or NHS administrators should be involved.

2. Abolish “diversity” committees and the more than 800 diversity officers on salaries of up to £70,000 per annum.

3. The top salary for an NHS administrator should be no more than £110,000, which is approximately that of a senior NHS consultant.

4. Nurse training should revert to the former, well-tried model, whereby every teaching hospital had a nurse training school in which consultants lectured on their specialities. Degree courses could be made available as a post-graduate qualification.

5. Wards should return to being run by a sister and matron.

6. The “firm” system should return, meaning that there is continuity of care and career advice for junior staff, and the patient knows who is looking after them.

7. During my career, most hospitals had associated cottage hospitals and houses staffed by trained nurses and visited by hospital doctors or local GPs. I visited as a house physician and continued to do so as a consultant. The re-introduction would have an immediate effect on the availability of beds.

These proposals are based on what worked in the past. They could all be implemented in a matter of months, and would save money and boost morale.

Leon Sebastian Illis FRCP
Lymington, Hampshire

Princely duty

SIR – Prince Harry (report, January 5) is a graduate of Sandhurst, where the motto is “Serve to Lead”, meaning that the purpose of being a leader is to put those under your command at the front and centre of your decisions.

He is a scion of the family that is the global representation of our nation. His grandmother spent 70 years embodying what “Serve to Lead” means. While he may have chosen not to be an active member of that family, he still has a duty to put this country before himself. In publicly airing his version of events about family spats, he sadly seems to have forgotten that.

Andrew Holgate
Wilmslow, Cheshire

Mercurial Morris

SIR – In the early 1960s I owned a 1939 Morris Series E (Letters, January 5).

The steering was so worn it would get stuck in double white lines and I would have to jog it back on to the road. Once, it suddenly lurched down at the back and my nearside rear wheel overtook me. We bolted it back on and continued. Thank goodness for the introduction of MOTs.

Fergus Nicolson
Gowdall, East Yorkshire

SIR – I passed my test in 1963 in a beautiful maroon Armstrong Siddeley Lancaster, which had lovely leather bench seats and did about 14 miles to the gallon. I am 5ft 2in and had to sit on a thick cushion to reach the pedals.

My husband later sold it to an RAF corporal who had been posted to the Shetlands. I often wonder what happened to it afterwards.

Audrey Buxton
Kenilworth, Warwickshire

A beach hut that brought joy to generations

SIR – Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council is increasing the rent for beach huts (report, January 2).

My grandmother owned one of Bournemouth's earliest huts, just before the First World War. It was a canvas cover over a wooden frame. She lost it in a severe gale, so commissioned a wooden hut – similar to the current models – to be built instead.

At the outbreak of the Second World War all huts had to be moved off the beach. Grandma’s was put in her back garden, where it provided endless games and picnic meals for her grandchildren, regardless of the weather. In 1947 huts were allowed back on the beach and Grandma was given site no 227, on the promenade to the west of Boscombe Pier. I helped Father to paint and maintain the hut. The council was most particular about details such as colour and upkeep.

The rent for the site was £25 a year but owners could let their hut for up to 25 per cent of the annual rent, so Mother placed an advertisement in the Daily Echo. She was inundated with inquiries, as many holidaymakers had to be out of their bed-and-breakfast accommodation by 9am, so a beach hut was a lifesaver.

The hut was sold once my parents were unable to maintain it (for, I think £50) but I have so many happy memories of it.

John Craig
Bodmin, Cornwall

The design fault that took the shine off Kiwi

SIR – While some may regret the demise of Kiwi shoe polish (Letters, January 5), I have always favoured Cherry Blossom.

The former has to be opened with a twisting mechanism that doesn’t always work; the latter just needs a simple push of the thumb. As so often in life, it’s the little things that make the difference.

Eddie Lewisohn
London N6

SIR – For National Service I joined the Grenadier Guards in 1952. Each day, “shining parade” took place for two hours, when we would “bull” our boots, belts and brasses, watched by a trained soldier. Any guardsman caught using polish other than Kiwi was in deep trouble, suffering extra drills or other punishments.

Keith Rawlings
Calstock, Cornwall

SIR – You shouldn’t use a brush to put the polish on (Letters, January 5) but a rag; then spit on the toecap as you polish. Hence the term “spit and polish”.

Richard Statham
Langport, Somerset

SIR – My late husband always polished his shoes on a Saturday night if he was due to assist the vicar dispensing Communion wine on Sunday. He reckoned that people kneeling at the altar rail would scrutinise them.

Judy Boys-Stones
Brampton, Cumbria

Letters to the Editor

We accept letters by post, fax and email only. Please include name, address, work and home telephone numbers.  
ADDRESS: 111 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 0DT   
FAX: 020 7931 2878   
EMAIL: dtletters@telegraph.co.uk   
FOLLOW: Telegraph Letters on Twitter @LettersDesk