Armando Iannucci (Media 23 March) discusses funding the BBC entirely in terms of television. BBC radio stations, notably Radio 3, Radio 4, 6 Music and the World Service are all valuable, intelligent and entertaining services that probably couldn’t exist if not funded by the licence fee; it’s not clear how a subscription model could be applied to broadcast radio. This omission is particularly culpable, given that Mr Iannucci’s own career began on BBC radio.
Liz Fuller
London
• Zoe Williams (Opinion, 23 March) muses on Felicity Kendal’s quote as to whether we are supposed to be monogamous. A while ago this was considered by measuring the volume of the testicle relative to the mass of the adult male in three primate species: the bonobo, which has multiple matings, has large testicles, while the gorilla, usually monogamous, had small testicles. In human males, it was somewhere in between.
Dr Maureen Tilford
Norwich
• I have just heard Old Etonian deputy BBC political editor, James Landale, ask Old Etonian prime minister, David Cameron, if he thought his privileged background had held him back (Report, 24 March). Is this how they see themselves, victims of their own wealth and privilege? Heaven help us.
Andy Webb
London
• The prime minister’s judgment in dropping his no-third-term bombshell might be questioned. However, his bravery in serving a chap from the BBC only cold meat for lunch is beyond doubt.
Paul Walker
Billingham, County Durham
• Great news about improving London schools (Report, 23 March), and it’s all down to policies and politicians, aspirant minority groups, supportive parents, lessons from Chicago, London Challenge and a culture of collegiality. No mention of teachers, though. Were they involved at any stage, do you think?
Graham Jones
Cold Ashby, Northamptonshire
• Here in Stroud (Letters, 20 March), we have Thrupp primary school (“Doing our best to be our best”) and South Gloucestershire and Stroud college (“Outstanding by standing out”).
Beth Darbyshire
Stroud, Gloucestershire
