How badgers could lose Labour the next election

Letters to the editor: our readers share their views. Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

Your report on how the richest people give the least to charity is deplorable but unsurprising ("UK’s richest donate smaller proportion of wealth to charity than average person", Monday 17 February).

The story also unearthed another fact of which the government should take careful note – that the charity sector most supported by the public is animal welfare, at 28 per cent of all donations.

This dispels a commonly held myth that animal protection measures are low on the public’s agenda. They are not – far from it, as any animal welfare campaigner knows.

With this in mind, let’s see the government swiftly act on its pre-election promises, such as banning snares, stopping the badger cull, and greatly strengthening the ban on hunting.

So far, this Labour administration has been a bitter disappointment in this area, which is unforgivable. If they don’t rectify this, they will be punished at the next election.

Penny Little

Great Haseley, Oxfordshire

Trump has sparked a continental shift

I’m sure I can’t be alone in being frustrated at the amount of television news and the number of newspaper columns being devoted to the juvenile goings-on across the pond (”Elon Musk: US should mind its own business instead of pushing for regime change”, Monday 17 February).

The United States has shown quite explicitly that it is no longer a dependable partner – it’s barely even a serious political entity any longer, for that matter. While it is no doubt worth being aware of what is happening over there, rather than being continually distracted by the deranged ravings of Trump and Vance, I think it is far more important that we focus on the goings-on in Europe.

By choosing to walk away from its role as a global player, and so withdrawing from its global commitments, the USA has effectively decided to take away its ball and go and play alone.

Fair enough, that’s their choice.

That the despotic duo and their unelected sidekick Elon Musk are now vandalising their own country is evident, but there’s no call for the rest of the world to be hanging on their every word. The time has come for Europe to take its future into its own hands, and the UK needs to take its place in that united front.

Julian Self

Wolverton, Milton Keynes

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I agree with John Major: it's a disgrace that US vice president JD Vance said that Germany’s firewall against the Russia-sympathising far right and Britain’s laws to protect abortion clinics are more of a threat than Russia itself (“John Major accuses Donald Trump of ‘cuddling’ up to Vladimir Putin”, Sunday 16 February).

He is doing the Kremlin's work – just as Trump appears to be on the Ukraine issue, by hinting that Russia should get away with stealing Ukrainian territory as part of what is really a surrender deal.

Britain should increase its defence budget to at least 2.5 per cent immediately, and encourage other European nations in Nato to do likewise.

The US, with its seemingly anti-Western government that slaps tariffs on allies and capitulates to the Kremlin, cannot be relied upon at present.

Sebastian Monblat

London SE14

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A common thread running through America, Russia and China is raw power (“Trump says Russia should rejoin G7 after call with Putin”, Friday 15 December).

While each has its own political compass and moral outlook, there is grudging mutual respect because of their individual might. Less powerful nations, however, may not be afforded the same degree of courtesy and consideration.

The speech given by the US vice-president in Munich last week provides a small but telling example of that power being misused – an arrogant and ill-informed oratory aimed at welcoming hosts and European friends.

Perhaps wishing to impress his boss and establish his own authority, this new kid on the block felt it necessary to criticise allies rather than focus on the central purpose of the conference, and encourage productive, civil discourse. In witnessing such unseemly spectacles we may understand how the powerful are easily corrupted by their own hubris and misguided sense of superiority, creating ill will and mistrust.

Unless Europe's nations act with urgency to increase significantly their joint defence capacity, and become a major military power in their own right, they will forever be at the mercy of more powerful states – friend or foe.

The reduced focus of America towards Europe's security only reinforces this imperative. Achieving this expansion will be tough, akin to herding cats perhaps, but not impossible – it simply requires the will of a critical mass.

Otherwise, Europe faces a future of being underpowered and overridden.

David Platts

Newark, Nottinghamshire

Is it time for Britain to nuke our nukes?

After reading Sean O’Grady’s piece on defence spending, I want to suggest another consideration that would significantly increase our naval capabilities, within existing budgets (“Can Britain afford to spend much more on defence?”, Monday 17 February).

At present, the Trident nuclear missile submarines consume far too much of the naval budget. It means we can’t afford more frigates or hunter-killer submarines.

Furthermore, there has been some doubt as to whether Trump’s alleged withdrawal of support from Nato will mean the UK will no longer be permitted to maintain the operational independence of its US-supplied Trident weapons system.

A valid question might therefore be: does Europe/Nato need two nuclear-weapon-equipped states?

France’s nuclear deterrent, the “force de dissuasion”, is independent from the US, and consists of both submarine and airborne platforms, whereas the UK has just one (submarine) platform.

It’s clear there’s a need for radical thinking, and with what seems to be a very welcome entente cordiale between Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron, could France provide Europe with its nuclear umbrella, instead of the US?

The UK could then convert its Trident missile submarines to a much-needed addition of its conventionally armed fleet. The savings obtained by not proceeding with the UK’s new nuclear warhead and the various projects surrounding the deterrent could help offset the costs of this change of role.

Once-in-a-lifetime moments require once-in-a-lifetime thinking.

Robert Forsyth

Deddington, Oxfordshire

Gender is far from binary

Following on from various letters about trans people and gender (Letters: “Trans rights and wrongs", Monday 17 February), please could we have an article about the many gender variations to be found quite naturally in human biology?

Some are born with both male and female sex organs. Or their innate biology and chemistry may cause them to develop in a way that does not correspond with their external organs. An infant might have as-yet undeveloped sex organs of the opposite gender to that which seemed to be theirs at birth.

The one certain thing is that it is not true that there are only two distinct genders.

There are variations on the theme that occur quite naturally, and no individual should be penalised for trying to live according to what feels true to them.

More tolerance and respect is called for, as your correspondents say – but more understanding of the underlying facts would surely help.

Helen Watson

Henley-on-Thames, Berkshire

Canada… extra dry

Further to the correspondent who suggested that rather than Canada becoming the 51st state, the US might become the 11th province of Canada (Letters: “Oh, Canada…”, Monday 17 February), Donald Trump's continued designs on his neighbour could create a piquant constitutional crisis for our country.

Suppose that King Charles III of Canada, on the advice of his ministers, warned his loyal subjects to resist the extinction of his realm?

Certainly, privy councillors would be obliged to do this in the magnificent language of their oath: “You will to your uttermost bear faith and allegiance unto the King’s Majesty; and will assist and defend all jurisdictions, pre-eminences, and authorities, granted to His Majesty and annexed to the crown by acts of parliament, or otherwise, against all foreign princes, persons, prelates, states, or potentates.”

Richard Heller

London SE1

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