I read Matthew d’Ancona’s insightful and pertinent column with interest and agreement (It’s hard to say it, but Tory modernisation lies in ashes, 28 January). The Conservative party has indeed morphed into a reactionary and, in some cases, a mendacious entity that only sees its narrow world perception and has led the UK down the blighted path of isolationism and ill-founded hubris. Its mindset is rigidly in the past of “former glories” and has not embraced the 21st century at all.
This party, albeit traditional in its fanbase, did have a certain paternalistic and moral stance. Now it appears to be led by a rabid, rightwing tranche who are merciless in taking this country to the edge and show no remorse in this pitiless trajectory. D’Ancona is correct that the EU debacle has shone a harsh light on these malefactors and a prime minister who appears to want to accommodate their shortsighted and vacuous aims.
The rhetoric about the EU has been grossly unedifying, and any modernisation that this party started to embrace has been consummately trashed or left to a few right-thinking MPs who struggle bravely against this all-consuming putrid tide.
Judith Daniels
Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
• Matthew d’Ancona states the obvious when he observes that “Brexit is a Tory gig”. In 1992 Douglas Hurd warned: “Our Conservative party could break itself over Europe – with consequences which would deeply damage Britain and give comfort only to our opponents. Let us decide to give that madness a miss.” Rather than giving it a miss, the Tories have decided to embrace it with open arms and smother it with kisses.
Derrick Cameron
Stoke-on-Trent
• Matthew d’Ancona describes the Conservatives as the party of “fiscal discipline”. How ironic, therefore, that on page 32 of the main paper on the same day, you report that the Tory government’s cuts in corporation tax are likely to cost £6bn more in lost revenues than originally envisaged.
I guess this loss will be recouped by yet more cuts to welfare.
Pete Dorey
Bath, Somerset
• Noting Matthew d’Ancona’s disillusionment not with Conservative values but the Conservative party, I can’t help feeling that it all started when he grew his beard. The modern Tory party doesn’t really do beards.
Keith Flett
Tottenham, London
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