We are told that the state is responsible for children’s safety. However, simultaneously, underperforming local authorities are told that they will be taken over by charities and trusts (Report, 14 December). This looks like the privatisation of childhood by the front door, not the back.
Toby Wood
Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
• To those who point to multiculturalism in Britain as an unambiguous failure (Trump ignores UK critics and claims country has ‘a massive Muslim problem’, 12 December), the other evening, I got a rather good photo of the extensive set of Christmas lights on the mosque opposite. Perhaps Trump et al should think a bit about the complex social pressures, marginalisation and other factors affecting radicalised individuals before branding a whole faith community as a “problem”.
Simon Samuroff
Manchester
• I expect whoever wrote the print headline “Christ, what a racket!” to Peter Robinson’s article on Christmas No 1s (12 December) thought they were being very clever. The thing is, for some of us Christmas is a sacred time, and having the name so dear to us used as a joke hurts. Why is it that Christians are not deemed worthy to have their beliefs respected?
Norma Bedford
London
• I don’t know about blazing a trail, but Elsie and Doris Waters (Gert and Daisy on Workers’ Playtime) made a pretty good living as a female double act in the 1940s and even appeared on TV in the 50s. Those days were much less posy, so there was no reference to “female-female dynamic” (Letters, 14 December).
Ken Vines
Horrabridge, Devon
• Peter Bradshaw on professions of humility by award-winners (My week, 12 December) brought to mind Bob Hope’s response to being awarded a special Congressional gold medal by JFK: “It’s one of the nicest things that ever happened to me and I feel very humble but I think I have the strength of character to fight it.”
John Harold Simpson
Anglesey
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