Ignore the Lib Dems at your own peril

One thing that escapes me is the lack of any real coverage, apart from within this publication, of the other ongoing leadership contest. With the latest election results supposedly dictating the balance of news coverage, the Liberal Democrats should surely be riding high.

Ignore them at your peril, because every inane spluttering of the Brexit gang is actually building up the membership and voter support of the Lib Dems, and a victory for Boris could lead to one of the shortest governments of all time, followed by an election win for the Lib Dems.

Peter Tyzack, Severn Beach

Thanks to Tim Walker for the interviews with the two Lib Dem leadership candidates.

Unfortunately neither addressed one of the most controversial policies of the coalition government, namely Andrew Lansley’s NHS bill, a top-down, privatising ‘reform’ which the Tory manifesto had ruled out.

I had an extended correspondence with my otherwise excellent Lib Dem MP, arguing against the bill. Unfortunately he insisted on supporting it. He lost his seat in the next election. Vince Cable privatising the Royal Mail did not help.

The privatisation question must be addressed by the Lib Dems, the Greens and the Independent Group for Change without ambiguity.

Geoff Byrne, Bristol

In the middle of the battle of Waterloo, Napoleon took a nap. When he awoke and came back to the battle, the day was lost. And great was the carnage.

In a similar scenario, parliament, in the midst of the gravest crisis this country has faced probably since the Second World War, is facing the prospect of leaving the European Union without a deal. The coming three weeks will be lost while the Tory party wrangles over who should be their leader.

Then at the end of July, parliament will close down for a six-week nap, before spending another three weeks in conferences. Leaving it only four weeks to try to undo the knot that the Tories have tied our country in.

Is this a deliberate filibuster to run the clock down, or a crass disregard for the people by whom they have been elected? To me it feels like both.

Damian Duggan, Gainsborough

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