Boundary reform may be necessary, but please don't make the situation worse

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The boundary review was established under David Cameron to ensure all votes carry equal weighting, regardless of where they are cast (iStock)

Leaving aside accusations of party bias, it's sensible to even out major numerical disparities between parliamentary constituencies. But slavish adherence to plus or minus 5 per cent of an average size does seem rather inflexible. Not only could the creation of geographically large constituencies make some unworkable, but losing coterminosity with local authority boundaries for the sake of numerical evenness will create extra workload for MPs. A good example where I live is the creation of a constituency that combines south Shropshire with north Herefordshire. It makes no sense.

Patrick Cosgrove
Chapel Lawn, Shropshire

Lest we forget

Will Gore is completely on the wrong tack in suggesting that we should not commemorate September 11. That day should always be remembered, if only as a turning point in the battle against terrorism. Other days in our history, such as Trafalgar Day and the Battle of Britain, are commemorated because they too were turning points in our history.

David Sidgwick
Peterborough

Who is responsible for Syria’s repair?

In all the criticism of Barack Obama for “allowing” Vladimir Putin to emerge the “victor” from the Syrian disaster, I respectfully ask who will fund Syria's “Marshall Plan”? This is Russia's area of not only influence but of responsibility. They have kept the kettle on the boil. I would not be surprised that this point may well have influenced Russia’s willingness to cooperate. It should certainly be Nato’s stance for the future. We have no direct or indirect accountability for that failed state. It did not fail because of those seeking reform.

Rodney Lunn
Addingham

Brexit does not mean Brexit

I hope Liam Fox realises that his world will never be the same again. After his remarks about our so called non-exporters, he is going to have to keep his nose to the grindstone. No more fat-cat junkets away from the office for him or he will be all over the tabloids.

Was Theresa May wise or mad to select the three Brexit compadres for top jobs? Did she bring them in because they were the brightest stars and most competent to deal with this huge unravelling exercise, about which they preached so noisily? Or was it just the simple plan to give them enough rope to hang themselves, enabling her to move them on because they were an embarrassment. It is starting to look a lot like the latter.

She can then bring in a real team of hardworking negotiators with staying power to handle this massive complex puzzle. We can then look forward not to Brexit, but to a slowly evolving new relationship with an EU that will be greatly changed from the one we now know.

Alastair Duncan
Winchester

Mental health services are in crisis

Whether there is recognition of a crisis in mental health problems among young people or not, the level of the service to assist is simply not there (Mental health care is a lottery, The Independent, 13 September). Personal experience last year showed that to get into the system takes weeks in the first place. Once in, sessions with are limited to no more than three or four (but it’s important to state how brilliant they were). In effect, this is a triage service, to find you out and move you on.

But where to? If these entry services are under the stress and pressure of numbers, the specialists above them are swamped. Waiting lists are months to years long. The whole process is painfully slow and the service under intolerable strain. And through this, the young person you are trying to support continues to suffer. Something is terribly wrong here, I think.

John Sinclair
Pocklington, East Riding

Would anyone object to a 1 per cent increase in VAT to be ring-fenced for the NHS? Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Robert Smith
Euxton, Lancashire

It’s time to permit the use of medical cannabis

Leaders in almost every professional field believe our politicians should follow the dictates of their own conscience and allow the use of cannabis in medical situations. Natural cannabis is more effective and less risky than prescribed medicines for many patients, particularly those with bone cancer, neuropathic pain, MS and Crohn’s disease. Such mercy and common sense is already shown in the likes of the Benelux, Germany, Spain, Italy, Israel and South America as well as our “kith and kin” in Canada and Australia. Even in the US, tormented by Richard Nixon’s misguided “war on drugs”, 25 states have cannabis on prescription for medical use. It’s clearly an idea whose time has come.

Rev Dr John Cameron
St Andrews

Faith schools are more troubling than grammars

Much is being written about grammar schools, but the dangers of another proposal are already being forgotten – namely, faith schools having 100 per cent of their pupils of the one faith. Such schools are likely to develop and harden religious differences: pupils will become imbued with Islam as the only true faith, or the Jews as the chosen people, or the Pope as infallible; many will be taught the evils of homosexuality and contraception, the rejection of evolutionary theory, and even that honour killings and fatwahs are morally demanded. Focus will often be on the Torah or the Bible or the Koran – and maybe on speaking Arabic or Hebrew rather than English. Yet Justine Greening and Theresa May tell us that 100 per cent faith schools will increase religious tolerance. Pray, do please tell us how – and how, for that matter, they will improve young people’s understanding of the world and of each other.

Peter Cave
London W1

Petite fail

Steve Hendrix's article on Lieutenant Heather “Lucky” Penney, the F16 fighter pilot, contains this immortal line: “Penney, now a Major but still a petite blonde with a Colgate grin, is no longer a combat flier.” Did she do her make-up in the rear-view mirror, hang her handbag on the choke as she pootled about the skies? Come off it. This is The Independent in the 21st century, not the Daily Mail in the 1950s.

Miles Tubb
Edinburgh