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Looking for signs of life in centre-right politics in Britain | Letters

Looking for signs of life in centre-right politics in Britain | Letters

Responding to articles about the Conservative party conference, David Redshaw suspects there may be life in Thatcherism yet. Plus letters from Des Senior, William Wallace, Les Bright , Katy Jennison and Peter Brooker Dating as I do from the second world war, I can assure Zoe Williams that the Tory party started imploding well before Boris Johnson, David Cameron and co ( Enjoying the implosion of the Tories? That’s understandable – but completely wrong, 6 October ). One-nation Tories became extinct the minute Margaret Thatcher took office. The true old-school Conservatives were the Macmillan generation, and they were possibly a one-off. That generation had seen two world wars (Macmillan was wounded in the first), they’d witnessed the great slump of the 1920s and 30s, and consequently they’d had their eyes opened and had to question their often privileged upbringings. Continue reading...

Try these habits to reinvigorate your reading | Letters

Try these habits to reinvigorate your reading | Letters

Readers share their methods for getting the most out of books Emma Loffhagen’s article about rekindling a love of reading echoed the development of a habit that I’ve been following for some time now ( The one change that worked: I was lost in the infinite scroll – until a small ritual renewed my love of reading, 6 October ). A few years ago, I found myself procrastinating a little too much each morning rather than getting on with my writing. Scrolling through social media and the news cycle was slowly eating into more of that precious time. Then I recalled an article about “ morning pages ”, a daily ritual involving contemplation and free-form writing, and wondered if I could use this to develop better habits. I wrote down two questions: “What did I read this morning?” and “What do I think about what I read this morning?” Not only does this give me more purpose for my scrolling, it also serves as a warm-up before I focus on my word count for the day. Without this structure, I don’t think I’d be so productive. Rachel Amphlett Poole, Dorset Continue reading...

Tackling the lack of Black talent in the legal system | Letter

Tackling the lack of Black talent in the legal system | Letter

We need to stop pretending the field is level and talk about what real equity looks like, says Pauline Campbell The Bar Council’s participation in the 10,000 Black interns programme is a necessary intervention to address the chronic underrepresentation of Black talent in the legal profession, particularly at senior levels such as king’s counsel. This lawful act of positive action, grounded in the Equality Act 2010, offers paid internships to Black university students and graduates. Yet when this door was nudged open, the backlash was swift and ugly. The Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe called the scheme “ racist filth ”, and a Spectator article labelled it “racist”, ignoring the fact that the programme does not reduce opportunities for others. Continue reading...

A country retreat that’s off-grid but online | Brief letters

A country retreat that’s off-grid but online | Brief letters

Staying connected | Dealing with rejection | Sleep aids | Andy Murray | Brexit wallchart Your article ( ‘I step outside into a cacophony of nature’: an off-grid escape in the west of England, 11 October ) sings the praises of a cottage that, on its website, boasts about the fast broadband, copious USB points and good mobile phone signal. Hardly “off-grid” then. Janet Thompson West Runton, Norfolk • Like Bob Brody ( ‘Stay true to yourself – and fly closer to the sun’: what I’ve learned from 50 years of rejection, 8 October ), I’ve published two books and over a thousand articles, but had many more rejections – in my case, in the academic field. The ratio is much worse for my grant applications. I advise young researchers to cultivate a thick skin and a short memory. Prof Mark Woodward Drummoyne, New South Wales, Australia Continue reading...