During the Covid pandemic, I worked as a Catholic chaplain in an NHS hospital. In those very worst of times, I witnessed the very best of humanity. I am amazed, therefore, that in her war against the “anti-growth coalition”, Liz Truss attempts to squander one of the few positive elements to emerge from the pandemic: cooperation and mutual support within communities. She talks in aggressive and combative terms about those who don’t agree with her ideas for growth, hoping for another Brexit-like split in society.
During the pandemic, our hospital and community, like many throughout the world, worked together to support and care for one another. All ideological and political arguments were set aside as we realised that we had to work together. The strong ties that we built during the pandemic are being threatened by the rhetoric of the prime minister and her cabinet. She is behaving like the worst of tyrants, encouraging communities to look for the enemy within. This is disgraceful behaviour. It is so sad that she seeks to highlight the divisions in society, rather than calling for us all to work together, to make our communities safe, prosperous and happy once again.
Josephine Feeney
Leicester
• The opinion pieces in last Saturday’s paper revealed just how ideological and fantastical Tory policy really is. I would like to suggest that Conservative ministers come and spend some time in towns and cities like mine, not just on a flying “here today, gone tomorrow” visit, but as members of the community. Were they to come to Newport, I would like to introduce them to the teachers who give substantially to their in-house food schemes out of a sense of vocational responsibility; the churches and other civic groups that run school uniform banks, breakfast clubs and night shelters; the Mind charity groups that try to provide struggling people with a little peace and quiet for a few hours a week; the outreach schemes that feed the homeless on the streets, and so many more.
I would like to show members of the government what dignity, compassion and community look like in practice. I would like to introduce them to the poor helping the poor, and I would like to remind them that the rights and freedoms that some of them now enjoy were won in cities like mine. But above all, I would like to show them how compassion trumps ideology every time.
Canon Andrew Lightbown
Newport Cathedral
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