The disconnection between the public and Westminster politicians is well outlined in Rafael Behr’s excellent article (2015 could unleash a new wave of contempt for politics, 21 January). He identifies the desire of the big parties to escape from coalition and return to two-party adversarial politics, which in my view is a big part of the problem. A grown-up approach to government would be to conduct it by cooperation and compromise, not by name-calling and point-scoring. Forming coalition governments is a skill like any other, and our present governing partners are not good at it; it is a skill we need to develop, and build viable relationships, not climb into bed in the Rose Garden like adolescent lovers. Good management is done by working together, sharing ideas, and coming up with the best solutions. Behr says, I believe rightly, that most politicians are honourable people. Can they grow up, please?
Nick Shepherd
London
• Your article (Four possible scenarios in May, 26 January) is interesting. But the manifesto promises we vote for will be traded away between the parties not in the pursuit of the interests of the people, but as a means whereby the politicians obtain power for themselves. Perhaps manifesto promises should be tagged to show the extent to which they are negotiable – and any coalition agreement ought to be subject to a referendum.
David Lund
Winscombe, Somerset
• You mention four scenarios, but miss out the most obvious and most European one. This would be a grand coalition of the two largest parties, which would be a stable and effective coalition. The leader of the largest party can be prime minister and the other deputy prime minister. Labour can take health and education and the Tories Home and Foreign Office. They can toss for the Treasury.
Meghnad Desai
Labour, House of Lords
