Michael Gove’s focus on the grammar, syntax and spelling tics of his civil servants is baffling in the extreme (Gove lays down the law on grammar and style, 22 June). The new lord chancellor is a bit like someone rearranging the deckchairs of the Titanic, oblivious to the fate of the criminal justice system as it is about to sink below the waves.
Robin Murray
Vice-chair, Criminal Law Solicitors’ Association
• Estelle Morris points out weaknesses of a fully academised school system (Let’s end this disgraceful charade over academies, 23 June). Its implementation would no more create centres of excellence than building churches would create centres of virtue.
Barry Samuel
Reigate, Surrey
• Nigel Willmott discusses letter-writing as post-election therapy for Guardian readers (Open door, 22 June). I once tried to work out what would be the secular equivalent to a prayer and concluded that it was writing a letter to the Guardian. It contains a heartfelt wish, disappears into the ether, and nothing happens.
Adam Leys
London
• Want to be a noisy neighbour (Play it loud: the ultimate Asbo playlist, G2 23 June)? Look no further than Einstürzende Neubauten, whose armoury has included pneumatic drills, jackhammers, electric drills on springs, scraping tools on metal, and sounds so deep as to almost cause involuntary evacuation of the bowels.
Bob Lamb
Chester
• We’re told to visit a GP if symptoms include bleeding from anywhere, “unless you have haemorrhoids” (Shortcuts, G2, 23 June). In which case, what? Spells? Stiff upper lip or worse? Only in the UK.
Brian Smith
Berlin, Germany
• Another thing we feminists don’t like (Feminism? Be afraid…, G2, 23 June) is sexist language – eg “twats” in an otherwise great article.
Mary Evans Young
Banbury, Oxfordshire
