Consensus in the press finds Diana’s statue “dull”, lacking “vitality” and “frumpy” and it may be true that part of the explanation is that the “energy and purpose have been drained out of the art form” (“Diana, Wollstonecraft, Wilde… why do we keep getting it so wrong with our statues?”, News). There is, however, a more fundamental problem. The idea of Diana, Princess of Wales, was always more significant than the real person. Even in an era of hyper-celebrity, few public figures owed quite so much to projected fantasy as she.
This is not to say that her public works lacked integrity or commitment, but she lived so brightly in the spotlight of both her admirers and detractors that she cast a shadow out of all proportion with her reality. That reality was far more prosaic than many like to admit and, in failing the impossible task of capturing daydreams, perhaps the ordinariness of her statue is inevitable and, arguably, fitting.
Paul McGilchrist
Colchester, Essex
Starmer’s Scottish problem
Andrew Rawnsley writes that after the Batley and Spen byelection Keir Starmer is “drinking in the second chance saloon” (Comment). Here in Scotland, he wouldn’t even be allowed into the building. The reality is that Labour can only deliver Westminster with the election of Scottish MPs, yet with only one MP and a smattering of list MSPs, isn’t it entirely unlikely?
Starmer’s big plan is to acquiesce to Brexit and rerun the 1960s “buy British” campaign. Yet Toby Helm tells us how thousands of small companies are relocating within the single market to counter the damage Brexit has done to their businesses (“Out! How Brexit sent one UK tennis kit firm to Romania”, News).
Without addressing the division of Brexit, Labour can market itself to the centre ground all it wants. Who’s going to believe it? The real measure of Starmer and Labour’s worth is surely an electorate that prefers the bumbling, lying buffoonery of Boris Johnson and his Tory henchmen to what Labour offers. And that’s precisely why the imperative here in Scotland is for independence.
Jim Taylor
Edinburgh
Heed maternity care evidence
The headline to the article by Sonia Sodha, “No evidence and little research – it’s no wonder that women and babies continue to die”, could not be further from the truth (Comment). There is extensive high-quality evidence examining the problems Sodha describes, including on prevention of mother and baby deaths, prevention of harm and psychological trauma, the impact of inequalities and ethnic disparities. Research addresses the need for access to interventions when necessary and avoiding unnecessary interventions, and the provision of high-quality maternity care and continuity of carer. Studies examine women’s views and experiences of maternity care. The problem is not lack of evidence but the lack of consistent and adequately resourced implementation of all relevant evidence to ensure safe quality care for all.
It is crucial that we respond effectively and compassionately to the reports of the “terrible care” described not only by Sodha, but also in recent reviews and now in the House of Commons health and social care committee report on the safety of maternity services in England.
Journalists have a critical role in helping public understanding of why poor care occurs, and how it might be prevented. Knowledge of evidence would help us move beyond polarised debate and support the best possible outcomes and experience for all women, their babies, partners and families.
Professor Lesley Page, visiting professor in Midwifery
Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery and Palliative care
King’s College London
Adjunct professor UTS and Griffith University Queensland
Honorary research fellow Oxford Brookes University
Professor Mary Renfrew
Professor emeritus
University of Dundee
Professor Susan Bewley
Emeritus professor (honorary) in obstetrics and women’s health
King’s College London
Lia Brigante
Consultant midwife public health
St Thomas’ Hospital London
Sheila Brown
Lead midwife in education and lecturer in healthcare sciences (midwifery)
Bangor University
Dr Sarah Buckley
Researcher, faculty of medicine, The University of Queensland
Sheena Byrom
Midwife, director All4Maternity
Dr Jenny Carter
Tommy’s National Centre for Maternity Improvement Research, fellow/senior research midwife,
Department of women and children’s health
King’s College London
Professor Helen Cheyne
Professor of maternal and child health research
NMAHP research unit
Faculty of health sciences and sport
University of Stirling
Dr Sarah Church
Head of division and associate professor of midwifery
School of health and social care
London Southbank University
Dr Jo Dagustun
Campaign steering group
Association for improvements in the Maternity Services
Florence Darling
Midwife, researcher, PhD student
City, University of London
Meryl Dimmock
Senior lecturer in midwifery
University of Bedfordshire
Professor Soo Downe
Professor of midwifery studies
University of Central Lancashire
Dr Claire Feeley
Associate researcher
School of community and maternity
University of Central Lancashire
Dr Evita Fernandez
Obstetrician
Chairperson, Fernandez Foundation, India
Kelda Folliard
Specialist midwife
Skylark team and integrated perinatal pathway
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital
Jane Forman
Senior midwifery lecturer
Kingston and St George’s Joint Faculty
Jo Gould
Senior lecturer in midwifery
University of Brighton
Dr Mari Greenfield
Post-doctoral fellow
Women and children’s health
King’s College London
Dr Angela Graves
Associate professor in maternal care
Director of practice, lead midwife for education
University of Leeds
Veronica Bianco Gutierrez
Midwife
University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton
Katherine Hales
National coordinator Association of Radical Midwives
Dr Jenny Hall
Independent midwifery educator and researcher
Liverpool
Dr Carolyn Hastie
Griffith University, Queensland
Professor Alexander Heazell
Professor of obstetrics
University of Manchester
Professor Billie Hunter
Professor of midwifery and director
WHO CC for midwifery development
Cardiff University
Jillian Ireland
Midwife
University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust
Professor Martha Livingston
Professor and chair, public health
State University of New York
Professor Christine McCourt
Professor of maternal health, centre lead, centre for maternal & child health research
School of health sciences
City, University of London
Professor Alison Macfarlane
Professor of perinatal health
Centre for maternal and child health research
City, University of London.
Ann-Marie Madely
Doctoral researcher, midwife
Faculty of wellbeing, education and language studies
The Open University
Professor Jayne Marshall
Foundation professor of midwifery, lead midwife for education
College of life sciences
University of Leicester
Joyce Marshall
Senior lecturer
Department of nursing and midwifery
University of Huddersfield
Professor Alison McFadden
Director, mother and infant research unit
University of Dundee
Emma Mills
Consultant midwife
Aneurin Bevan University Hospital Wales
Dr Elsa Montgomery
Senior lecturer in midwifery
Florence Nightingale faculty of nursing, midwifery and palliative care
King’s College London
Sir Jonathan Montgomery
Professor of health care law
University College Hospital London
Member Morecambe Bay investigation panel
Zoe Nelson
LMNS lead midwife for Cornwall & IOS/SW maternal and neonatal safety improvement programme
Regional clinical maternity MatNeoSIP rep/midwifery ambassador
Mary Newburn
Mary Newburn Consulting
Service user engagement and research
Dr Sally Pezaro
Lecturer
School of nursing, midwifery and health
Coventry University
Hilary Rosser
Research midwife
Sheffield
Louise Speakman
Midwifery educator
University of Central Lancashire
Dr Tomasina Stacey
Reader in midwifery practice
University of Huddersfield/Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
Dr Jenny Carter
Tommy’s National Centre for Maternity Improvement Research fellow/senior research midwife
Department of women and children’s health
King’s College London
Dr Juliet Wood
Senior lecturer in midwifery
Bournemouth University
Becky Westbury
Midwife
Hywel Dda University Health Board
Holiday? Don’t bank on it
“Burned out? What we need is a new bank holiday,” writes Eva Wiseman (Observer Magazine). No, No, No! My daughter is a hospital consultant and a bank holiday for her means more accidents to children, more people in A&E and perhaps fewer staff on duty. Holidays for some but extra work for health workers.
Mary de Vere
Wrenthorpe, Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Levelling up on pensions
John Filby (“Not all over-65s are Tories”, Letters), echoing Nick Cohen, describes the pensions triple lock as “an embarrassment”. The real embarrassment, nay, scandal is the inadequacy of the basic state pension. At least the triple lock ensures that those who rely solely on it do not see their already poor standard of living further eroded.
If we want to redress intergenerational injustices, a far better target is the perk that those of us receiving generous occupational pensions enjoy, as a result of not paying national insurance contributions. A better-off pensioner with a total income of, say, £30,000 a year from state and occupational pensions pays £2,451 (ie £200 a month) less than their employed counterpart. Removing the triple lock on the state pension would hardly affect such an individual, whereas it would have a significant adverse effect on those scraping by on the measly state pension. If we are serious about removing “embarrassment” and creating a more just tax and pensions regime, why not abolish employees’ NI and raise the basic rate of income tax accordingly?
Andy Cook
Honley, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire
Failed war on Afghan drugs
Your editorial forecasts a bleak future for the people of Afghanistan (“The shabby US retreat is a path to civil war and terror”, Comment). Another major failure associated with the western architects of this disastrous military invasion was the war on drugs. Despite spending billions of dollars trying to eradicate the Taliban’s main source of income, 2020 saw a 37% increase in opium poppy cultivation, according to a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime survey.
The vacuum left by America and its allies will only energise the drug cartels, corrupt government officials and neighbouring states to profit from this failed state. As our cowardly leaders walk away from a war they started, with the knowledge that they won’t be held accountable, what future do the people of Afghanistan have? Displaced internally to avoid the fighting, a refugee camp in a foreign country or a migrant boat destined for a western continent that doesn’t want them. It’s important that history records the failure of the war on drugs in Afghanistan and the reasons why.
Stuart Carruthers
Lewes, East Sussex
