David Edgar (Opinion, 31 August) says of the Stop the War Coalition, of which Jeremy Corbyn is chair: “Its core ambitions are liberal and plural: peace, disarmament, internationalism ... and the defence of human rights, abroad and here.” In reality, its focus has always been specifically that of narrow opposition to western, particularly US, military intervention, rather than broader opposition to war in general, let alone anything remotely in “defence of human rights”. To take Syria as an example: I searched in vain on Stop the War’s website for any mention of the plight of the Syrian people or criticism of the Assad regime, let alone of Isis operating there. However, there was plenty of criticism of US policy to be found, including publicity for a Don’t Bomb Syria meeting next week. This, and Corbyn’s earlier failure to support action in opposition to Milosevic’s ethnic cleansing in Kosovo, call into question just how the Labour party’s foreign policy might shape up should he be elected leader.
Peter Halfpenny
Whitstable, Kent
• Thank you David Edgar. Like many on the left I resent Blairites and the media describing me as hard left just because I think raising taxes and state control of natural monopolies are good ideas.
Phil Wells
Hadleigh, Suffolk
• Your coverage of the Labour leadership election is dominated by Jeremy Corbyn. I feel strongly, however, that you have been unfair to the other candidates, especially Andy Burnham, who has regularly been portrayed as uninspiring, and a “flip-flopper”. This is a man who persevered against the establishment’s wish to cover up the truth about the Hillsborough tragedy and is determined to achieve a public inquiry into the police’s behaviour at Orgreave during the miners’ strike.
Months ago he put forward big ideas on the amalgamation of health and social care, the crucial importance of comprehensive education, and equal funding for non-university students, as well as devolution of power. Add to this a warm sense of humour, which does seem to be lacking, not only in the Labour candidates, but in the wider political sphere, and I think he is best equipped to offer a genuine, electable alternative to the Conservatives in 2020.
Ken Gambles
Knaresborough, North Yorkshire
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