After an infantile display by politicians of all colours, we are to wait until 9 September for the Conservative grassroots to sprout and deliver a winner (Britain to get second female PM as May and Leadsom win Tory vote, 8 July). That will not do. This delay is synchronised with the long parliamentary holiday, inappropriate at the best of times. But this is the worst of times and the product of parliamentary and ministerial incompetence. Appoint your leader now; call an election quickly; then the rest of us can tell you what we think should happen next in our democracy, assuming, of course, that you do not lie in your manifestos.
William Duggan
Wellington, Somerset
• There has been a call for a general election to give the new leader of the Conservative party a legitimate mandate. However, John Major did not call an election for two years after Margaret Thatcher was deposed and although the Fixed-Term Parliament Act could be overthrown by another act of parliament why would the Conservatives do this? The Sixth Periodic Review of Westminster Constituencies, known as boundary changes, is due to be completed in 2018. It is generally thought that it will favour the Conservative party. There are constitutional arguments for calling for a fresh election and arguments for not calling for one but the overriding motivation for the Tories is not a question of principle, but simple electoral arithmetic.
Barry Spivack
Rendlesham, Suffolk
• Your front-page report fills me with despair. Gender equality is a very important issue, but if anyone requires evidence that it is class that shapes this country, they should think long and hard on how little our last female PM did for women’s rights. In the spirit of true equality, I do not care about the gender of the contestants as they both represent a party who are hell bent on doing untold damage to the majority that they do not represent.
Colin Reed
Glasgow
• Could Andrea Leadsom possibly provide a refuge for Labour voters distressed by the civil war in their party? Might we have a proper review of defence policy, another look at education and a more conciliatory approach to the NHS for instance?
Dr Richard Turner
Harrogate, North Yorkshire
