Rafael Behr says many voters see Keir Starmer as “the archetypal status quo politician” (Keir Starmer is the bandage that Labour can’t rip off for fear of opening old wounds, 11 February). They could be on to something, since the band of that name is renowned for its dull, predictable output, which has included Accident Prone and, more optimistically, Come On You Reds and The Party Ain’t Over Yet.
Mike Hine
Kingston upon Thames, London
• You published a number of letters critical of Keir Starmer, but let us be thankful that he has not inflicted as much damage as Margaret Thatcher or David Cameron.
Richard Bartholomew
Colchester
• I understand “spad” at Westminster means special adviser. I spent my career working for British Rail. We also used the acronym “spad” – signal passed at danger. It seems they have both the same outcome – a train crash.
David Carter
Wakefield
• The “large wire cage with an infrared lightbulb in the centre” (Letters, 15 February) was a Glow Baby. It was invented by my uncle, John Chew, and was sold in the 1960s and 70s before electric blankets became popular. We sold them in our ironmonger’s shop and my mother used one for years. We still have it tucked away in the loft.
Cal Weatherald
Belper, Derbyshire
• I was pleased that Gwyneth Lewis (Country diary, 14 February) took expert advice and found that her overgrown tree was not the infamous leylandii but a western red cedar (Thuja plicata). It is also favoured for beehives – bees appear to love its aroma, and unpainted hives survive outdoors for decades.
John Edmondson
Holywell, Flintshire
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