Letter of the week: Principles paired with praxis

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As a lifelong Labour activist, I read last week’s magazine with growing despair. How did it come to be that the final two candidates for a Labour government’s ambassador to the US were Peter Mandelson and George Osborne? It is increasingly apparent that Keir Starmer and his team are very light on ideology but believe in “whatever will work”. Starmer’s predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn, and his team were heavy on ideology but paid little attention to what would work in government. Clearly the Labour Party must find a path between these two positions to lead the country out of its present difficulties successfully. Looking at Starmer’s current team, it is difficult to see an alternative leader who could strike the balance needed. Many of us thought that the beliefs and principles expressed by Starmer during his campaign for the leadership meant that he was the leader we needed. Events seem to be proving us wrong. Unless he can find a way to fulfil the promise he offered originally, then I fear that he and the Labour Party will have no future in government.
Roger Millard, Frampton Cotterell

For Pete’s sake

I have long resisted the view that Keir Starmer should be replaced as Prime Minister, not least because of the unsuitability of other potential candidates. But Ailbhe Rea’s article (Cover Story, 6 February) changed my mind. Starmer’s lack of political nous has been evident for quite some time. But that Peter Mandelson was able to manipulate major decisions in No 10 through his stooge, Morgan McSweeney, is of another order. All the weaknesses of Starmer’s character come together at this moment, which is a tragedy for both the Labour Party and the country.
Margaret Bluman, London

What a fantastic but depressing piece by Ailbhe Rea. Mandelson’s appointment seems to retread the same footsteps of all post-Brexit government downfalls: a political strategist pushing their agenda, infighting and a big-name politician screwing things up for their own greed. The signs were there. I hope to never again read an article that leads me to think: I wish they’d chosen George Osborne.
Rob Grew, Birmingham

The final sentence of Ailbhe Rea’s excellent piece understates the damage done by the Mandelson scandal. That he was even considered for the post of US ambassador given what was known at the time about his conduct as a government minister and the extent of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is beyond belief.

The shameful obfuscation that Starmer has deployed in trying to defend the appointment should be the final nail in the coffin of his incompetent leadership. Those of us who hoped Labour would succeed have looked on with dismay at a procession of avoidable mistakes. Mandelson’s appointment clearly shows an appalling lack of judgement. Starmer must go. Sadly, it isn’t clear that anyone in Labour has the ability to lead the government or the party, let alone the country.

Labour’s current tenure will come to be seen as one of huge wasted opportunity, brought about by ineptitude. It’s hard to think how the party could have destroyed the goodwill that was there when they took office more effectively. Given the potential consequences, we will all pay the price.
Andy Leslie, Horsham, West Sussex

Olé, Oli

Although he had to wait for three of the four MPs on the Question Time panel to trot out their party line on Starmer’s possible resignation, Oli Dugmore’s response was worth waiting the 16 minutes and 57 seconds before he had the opportunity to give it. He eviscerated the thinking behind Peter Mandelson’s appointment and was the only panellist to receive applause.
Tom Stubbs, Surbiton, Surrey

Well done, Will Dunn

As a New Statesman reader of about a year, I particularly enjoy Will Dunn’s witty and insightful commentary on economics and business. I’m very pleased he now has a regular slot, which has become my favourite piece in the magazine. This week’s (The Sketch, 6 February) was no exception. When Will pointed out that he wasn’t one to bang on about his father having been a bus conductor, I thought, “But aren’t you doing that right now, Will?” – only for him to put me in my place by observing the irony himself, in his dry comedic style. It tickled me a lot. Well played, Will.
Laura Hughes, Prestwich, Manchester

The silent treatment

I’ve been a member of the London Library for years and I would love it to have a simple café (At Large, 6 February). What annoys me about the library are the members of the chatterati who treat it as their private club, glaring at anyone who enters a room where they might be waiting for their mates. I was in the main reading room once when someone not only let his phone ring but answered it loudly, before walking out. The offender? Andrew Marr…
Kathryn Perry, Richmond upon Thames

As you like it

Apropos “A comedy of errors” (Correspondence, 6 February), I was once conducting a wedding: “Fiona, will you take Simon to be your husband?” “Simon, will you take Fiona to be your wife?” All went well until I reached a ghastly cut-and-paste error and invited the bemused groom to repeat: “I, Simon, take you, Susan, to be my wife.” The consequent silence was broken by the best man, who interjected: “I knew there was another woman!” The laughter ensured that this embarrassed vicar’s faux pas became a highlight of the day.
James J Mercer, Swanage, Dorset

Kiwi query

Reading your piece on the Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez (The NS Interview, 30 January), brought back memories of a distant time when my country was led by politicians who practised, as he put it, a “values-based foreign policy”. Today, the supine nobodies who run New Zealand wouldn’t dream of any such thing. An election is coming later this year. Could we please borrow Mr Sánchez?
Alister Browne, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Totally thrilling

I have enjoyed many of Robert Harris’s excellent novels, but never picked one up out of despair (Editor’s Note, 6 February). However, if this has encouraged Tom McTague to read more thrillers, then that is good news. The very best books in this genre say more about the human condition than other more worthy tomes. Andrew Marr made this point in his excellent series Paperback Heroes, which is available on iPlayer. How about adding some reviews of thrillers to the New Society pages? That might help Tom and the rest of us find our next must-read as a brief escape from the doom and gloom.
John Adcock, Ashtead, Surrey

Mother knows best

I feel extremely fortunate never to have heard of MrBeast, nor seen any of his content on YouTube (The New Society, 30 January). Nicholas Harris relates that there were around 92 million views of his latest dross broadcast of 30 “slebs” fighting each other for a million bucks. This reminded me of my late mother’s summarisation of the readership of the Sun newspaper, which in the 1990s peaked at around four million. My mother said: “Well, about 20 billion flies eat shit every day – but that doesn’t make it gourmet food.”
Tom Hill, Galashiels, Scottish Borders

Où est le cassoulet?

I’m pleased to read that Nicholas Lezard managed to retrieve his mis-delivery of cassoulet (Down and Out, 6 February). I share his disappointment that it’s no longer available in Waitrose post-Brexit. However, cassoulet originates from Occitanie region and is not Provençal. In fact, the Languedoc cities of Toulouse and Carcassonne, as well as Castelnaudary, fight over whose recipe is authentic and the best at the annual three-day festival, Fête du Cassoulet.
Richard Homer, St Albans

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[Further reading: Gordon Brown: Police need to interview Andrew]