Letters to the Editor – week ending 10 May 2026

Read what people have been writing to our editor about this week. Find out how to share your own views here.

Election reaction

Dear Friends,

Thanks to Emma Burnell to pointing us all in the right direction. It seems to me that Keir Starmer doesn’t believe anything in particular and consequently swings hither and thither in an attempt to shore up his popularity. It seems to me that this makes Starmer seem an insincere fraud and makes him such an unfortunate PM.

Phil Lee
Nottingham

*****

Emma,

My home Wakefield District Council now looks like this:

Reform UK 58 seats
Liberal Democrats 2 seats
Green 1 seat
Labour 1 seat
Conservative 1 seat

I am just an ordinary member – delivered a couple of hundred Manifestos in my neighbourhood – the disappointment of former councillors, some of whom have served for 30 years or more, is profound.

And we saw it coming, and we warned the leadership, and they apparently did nothing. The Country was ready for some big changes after the General Election and the leadership tinkered and u-turned multiple times.

In your editorial you say let’s go back to economic fairness ‘Let’s work out what that means in a world of globalised capital – including investment in our debt and why that matters in terms of how much or how little we can borrow.’ We need to be more free thinking than that – the Bank of England now owns around one quarter of our entire £3 Trillion National Debt – think about that – the BoE owned by us, owns a quarter of our debt! Doesn’t that seem strange? We can borrow from ourselves to invest in growth!

Our Economic Policy is to boost growth but there are no plans to clawback the unequal benefits of that growth from the individuals who benefit from increased income – make a big u-turn – increase income tax with new bands for higher earners – and exit taxes for those who choose to leave the Country.

At the same time, we are paying the commercial banks interest, at the minimum bank rate, set by the BoE, on the reserves (current account) they hold at the BoE. When that arrangement started, after the 2008 bailout of the banks, it was 0.25%, it’s been up to 5.25% and is currently 3.75%. It has cost us hundreds of £Billions and given the banks massive windfall profits. The EU Central Bank has reduced the interest it pays on reserves, the US is likely to – with the new chair of the Federal Reserve coming in – we should reduce interest paid on commercial bank reserves at the BoE – and guess what – it’s a Reform policy!

Take back responsibility for inflation and interest rate control from the BoE – they will stymie any sign of growth by increasing rates. Control inflation by investing in the supply side – in particular renewable energy supply and storage, and reduce prices paid by businesses and households.

Don’t shy away from Tariffs to protect businesses and jobs in this country just because Trump likes them. Don’t refuse to burn North Sea gas and oil while importing from other countries just because it sounds like a Trump/Reform policy. Use the money from tax revenues to invest in renewable energy and storage so we don’t have to import, so we can subsidise UK business and home energy use to boost growth and reduce the cost of living. Show we are willing to change for practical benefits for our people.

Regards,

Colin Bryant

*****

The Labour Party needs a proper reset, which must include the replacement of the leader and the surrounding Mandelsonian worshipping clique. They have wrecked the party and made a shambles of government. The recent Oly Robbins affair showed them treating the civil service in the same way that they’ve have treated party members for years.

In power, they simply seek to manage the moribund neo-liberal system better. Even, functioning with good levels of growth, this will still see more wealth flowing to the very few billionaires, whilst growing numbers go to foodbanks. 

The system needs to be changed. Public services like water, energy and the mail need to return to public ownership. The public housing estate needs to be re-established and managed by accountable local councils in the public sphere.

An intergenerational universal basic income should be introduced, as a way to really address the cost of living crisis. 

Double down on net zero targets, making the UK the green capital of Europe.

The UK must rejoin the EU. 

Fundamental change that will bring greater equality to society. No more chasing Reform down ludicrous anti-migrant rabbit holes or following a mantra that says cut welfare to fund the arms industry via the Defence budget. There needs to be change but it must be real and fundamental change based on true socialist Labour values.

Paul Donovan
Former Labour councillor in Redbridge

*****

Dear Editor,

I feel very strongly that the recent trouble the Labour Party finds itself in is entirely due to media coverage. Across the spectrum, the negative, evil, populist reporting from news outlets that should know better are stirring up the electorate. They are misinforming and creating unrest with no particular reason, other than “because they can“.

The Labour Party is full of decent, caring people (mostly) and led by intelligent, educated people (mostly), and the phrase that needs emphasising is “FOR THE MANY, NOT THE FEW”. I do not understand the motive behind the media coverage unless it is from some sort of power game stance. How can anyone ever vote for the populist right is an absolute mystery – is some sort of brain-washing taking place, I wonder.

I hope my language is not too strong, I am feeling rather angry about the media coverage over the past few months.

Hilary Jensen

*****

A little local trouble..?

James Tibbitts is right, of course, though the handicaps created by GDPR and entryphones make it even harder to rebuild a moribund local party than it was when I joined in 1982.

The dead hand of party officialdom which prefers no-local-party to a troublesome one will cripple the rebuilding that the Party needs.

Paul Martin
Bromley North Branch – a dysfunctional branch of Stratford and Bow (a largely imaginary CLP).

[Editor’s note: We hear a lot about dysfunctional CLPs and would like to hear from members about their experiences in order to build a clearer picture. Please email us [email protected]]