Times letters: new lockdown and the no 10 briefing chaos

Sir, It is clear that this next lockdown is now necessary, if rather late. If it is not to be repeated, the time must be used to build a local, effective test, trace and isolate system. The

present mostly central one, largely run by private companies, has had enough time to prove itself and is clearly not working. Countries that have succeeded in moderating the spread of the

virus have all had a rigorous, local system. In the UK, we already have a local system of healthcare covering every citizen — the long established network of GP surgeries. It is a mystery to

me why GPs have been sidelined in the management of this pandemic. Think how much better it would be if everyone could access a test at their local surgery. Dr Vicky Philp Ret’d GP,

Longtown, Herefordshire Sir, The prime minister said that the “over-running of the NHS would be a medical and moral disaster”. This disaster is already with us and the foundation was laid by

governments of the past few decades. Chronic underfunding, poor management, crumbling buildings, understaffing and low morale in the workforce. We need to get all these on an upward

trajectory to stand a chance in the next pandemic. Rachel Turner Overton, Hants Sir, Once again the government has closed my business — but what help is there for self-employed people? I’ve

built up a business teaching pilates over 21 years and it’s being torn apart and trashed by our government. I’ve spent a fortune complying with all the guidelines, working to get people back

to classes. Now, nine weeks later, my business is closed again. I realise there are others in a much worse situation but self-employed people need to eat and pay their bills as well. Diana

Thomson Northampton Sir, Close all non-essential shops for a period? All shops are essential — the patient is the UK economy, and it is dying. Robert Sharp Effingham, Surrey Sir, Regarding

the No 10 press briefing, it’s a shame that Boris Johnson’s extremely expensive education apparently didn’t teach him the importance of punctuality. Susan Joslin Marlborough, Wilts

Advertisement Sir, When will No 10 employ a decent graphics artist? The charts that Sir Patrick Vallance and Chris Whitty put on the screen at these press briefings may be fine for a

conference where there is time to study them, but they are hopeless for a few brief seconds on the TV screen. There is far too much information, the type sizes are often too small to read,

and sometimes part of the image is bleeding off the side of the screen. No 10 should take a lesson from the TV news channels, whose graphics are simple and easy for the already confused

audience to follow. Ronald Neil Former head of BBC News Sir, After reading Matthew Parris’s article (“Our leaders should admit they’re totally lost”, Oct 31), I’m convinced that the only way

to make sense of the pandemic is to assume no one knows what they are talking about. An oddly consoling thought. Ian Harrow York LET’S PAUSE BREXIT Sir, In the midst of so much economic and

other activity coming to a stop in Britain and most other European nations, might it be possible to press the pause button on the Brexit process until the pandemic is brought under control?

This is not about reversing Brexit or re-voting, but it seems perverse to be devoting so many resources of the state in a rush to get even the most minimal of Brexit deals, when all our

energies should surely be focused on how to overcome Covid. Businesses, big and small, face a leap into the unknown as no one is able to assure normal relations with Europe, by far our

biggest partner. A total of five million citizens, British and European, living outside their own countries, have no certainty on their rights and future. Under all versions of a possible

deal there will be major disruption at borders, for inward investment, for all financial and professional services, for farmers and fishing communities. This would be hard enough in normal

conditions but makes no sense in the present confusion. Diplomatic negotiations have a long and honourable tradition of “stopping the clock”. Legal purists will wring their hands and say it

is too difficult to pause the negotiations. It needs a joint agreement by the government and European Council and Commission, supported by the British and European parliaments. The lawyers

can then find the right words. Denis MacShane Former Europe minister, London SW1 Advertisement WRONG QUESTION Sir, The results of the assisted dying opinion poll published on Friday (“66 per

cent want assisted dying bill”, Oct 30) should be dismissed. It was based on a narrowly focused rights-based question that seemed designed to solicit support for change. More detailed

polling, which asks about safeguards, pressure on the vulnerable and health inequalities, could produce very different results. Scottish people know that changing the law means removing

universal protections. This is why in Oregon — the model put forward by those wanting change — more than half cite fear of being a burden as a reason they are ending their lives. In Canada,

which only changed its law in 2016, the requirement to be terminally ill has already been removed by a court in Quebec, while pro-assisted dying advocates have been highlighting the

healthcare savings associated with hastening the death of thousands. In the Netherlands and Belgium, laws for terminally ill, mentally competent adults have been extended to people with

psychiatric conditions, disabled people and even children. This is why mendacious claims about safeguards and strict limits should be dismissed and present law maintained. What we really

need in Scotland is proper funding for high-quality social and palliative care that caters for a patients’ physical and psychological needs and supports their families. Dr Gordon Macdonald

Chief executive, Care Not Killing, Glasgow ONLINE NIGHTMARE Sir, National Savings & Investments, in its infinite wisdom, has chosen now, with very limited staff, to stop sending cheques

for prizes and make it an all-online affair. My 93-year-old mother has to date survived Covid-19 but the process of registering online has nearly finished her off. Instead of simply asking

their elderly clientele to fill in a form and put it in the post, they have produced a Kafkaesque system that requires a computer, a phone with a battery that lasts longer than an hour — the

minimum time it can often take for them to answer any queries — and the speed of a teenage gamer to input the frequent security codes. The thousands of people without these resources

deserve better. Richard Mills Nottingham APPRENTICESHIPS FOR LAWYERS WELCOMED Sir, The Legal Services Board has announced that from next September it will be possible to qualify as a

solicitor by way of an apprenticeship to a law firm (News, Oct 31). This will, in effect, restore the system that existed 50 years ago, under which would-be lawyers joined a law firm from

school to serve articles of clerkship that would span a period of five years. During those years we sat in our principal’s office, learnt how a legal practice was conducted and, importantly,

learnt about the businesses that the firm served. Two six-month periods studying at law school, on release from the firm, led to the solicitors’ finals and qualification. We were thus

properly prepared for a career in the law. This system gave us an advantage over our colleagues who joined the firm after university and a further period at law school as we had three extra

years of relevant experience. Patrick Griggs Ongar, Essex Advertisement Sir, As somebody who did not go to university but did five years of “articles” to become a solicitor followed by a

period of “pupillage” to become a barrister — both posh terms for apprenticeships — I would urge young people whose financial circumstances put university out of reach to qualify as lawyers

under the “trailblazer” scheme”. They should ignore the demeaning remarks made by some academics and others about the “dumbing down” of the entry requirements and go for it. His Honour

Gareth Cowling Alresford, Hants Sir, When I began my articles in 1956, I was told by a well-respected senior solicitor that if twin newly qualified solicitors approached him for a job, one

with a university degree and one without, he would take the one without. This was on the basis that the one without a degree had undergone five years’ office experience and was far more use

than the other. Solicitors have to pass the most stringent professional examinations, and the bleatings of academics on the subject of depreciation of academic skills should be taken with a

substantial pinch of salt. Richard Malim Lyme Regis, Dorset Advertisement MOVED BY INTERVIEW Sir, I read with tears in my eyes the words of Jake Berry (Saturday interview, Oct 31). It was

all shocking but it was also all too familiar: denied treatments; healthcare rationed; families separated in pain and despair; nationalists capitalising on fear. My heart goes out to him,

but this is modern Britain. At the end of this pandemic, we must say never again. No family should be denied the treatment they need, no one should be denied the dignity their humanity

deserves, and we should not give succour to those who use threats of violence to achieve political aims. We should all share Mr Berry’s courage, candour and determination. MATT KILCOYNE,

deputy director, Adam Smith Institute NOT A PROBLEM Sir, Motorists in this area of the country have no problem overtaking cyclists (News, Oct 26, Letters, Oct 27, 28, 29 & 31) as all the

cyclists are on the pavement. Mark Noble Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancs Advertisement DAMAGE LIMITATION Sir, Sarah Betts makes a fair and compassionate argument against the damage that

infrastructure makes to the environment (“Wind farm damage”, Letters, Oct 31). However, the single cable she proposes, to link offshore wind with the mainland, would either be impossibly

sized or insufficient to carry the load. There is a reason we use ring circuits in our homes and that is because they distribute load more efficiently and safely than a single cable or spur.

This is also why we have a national grid. Alan Surry Grays, Essex Sir, I agree that the construction of multiple substations to enable wind-power procurement is worrying (Notebook, Oct 29).

However, I would urge Janice Turner to concentrate on a far greater catastrophe that looms: the Sizewell C nuclear power station, which would make the comparatively tiny substations drops

in the ocean. Janet Whitby Dunwich, Suffolk STOP ONLINE ABUSE Sir, The appalling, cowardly online abuse of good people such as Rebecca Adlington (“Swimmer’s proud memories tainted by online

abuse”, Oct 31) could be stamped out at once if there were a system that allowed the names and addresses of the authors to be made known. It is anonymity that allows this abuse to continue.

People could be required to register giving verifiable details before being enabled to send a message. _The Times _would not publish this letter without such details. David Vaudrey Doynton,

Glos A WELCOME BREAK Sir, Premier Inn and similar hotels have perhaps made some unexpected gains during the pandemic (“My great escape”, Weekend, Oct 31). I know at least three friends who

have headed to a local hotel for some peace and quiet away from their young children. We had a parental reason last weekend, heading into town for a relaxed night away so that our new

18-year-old could legally celebrate at home with five friends. I can confirm, happily, that while the recycling bin was overflowing, all fixtures and fittings remained intact. CLAIRE

FITZMAURICE BENTLEY Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk DEBATE SETTLED Sir, In the debate as to whether porridge made with water or porridge made with milk is superior (Letters, Oct 29, 31), might I,

as a Sassenach, though married to a Scot, suggest the following: both water and milk are equally good, provided that always, in either case, there is no porridge. Sir Nigel Davis Richmond

upon Thames CLASSIC LP ECLIPSED Sir, The reference (Birthdays, Oct 31) to Jim Steinman, as “songwriter, _Total Eclipse of the Heart_”, was slightly surprising. I suspect that others who were

teenagers in the 1970s and fans of Meat Loaf’s _Bat Out of Hell_ would agree. What next, “Paul McCartney, songwriter,_ Mull of Kintyre”_ ? Chris Akerman Guildford, Surrey