King's Lynn & West Norfolk letters: Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, abortion

But I do have strong concerns when I read that those terrible twins, Jacob Rees Mogg and Nadine Dorries, are supporting her bid to be the next Tory leader.

Both Mogg and Dorries were vocal cheerleaders for the disgraced Boris Johnson, seemingly turning a blind eye to all those Partygate shenanigans at No 10.

One can only hope that should Ms Truss make it all the way to Downing Street she would have the good sense to side-line both of them to the back benches.

R Hansen

Gaywood

Our MPs need to change their antiquated working ways

Simple question, where are they, where are the MPs? We have a crisis going on, be it cost of living, the water, the heat wave and now the possible polio outbreak in London, so where are they?

Isn’t it about time these people who run the country start working under the same laws they dictate to us, 28 days holiday and Bank Holidays a year, rather than having the same holidays as the schools?

It’s about time they changed their antiquated ways and start working to the same patterns as the people they govern over.

Noel Hammond

Gaywood

The Tories are doing themselves much harm

The war of attrition within the Conservative Party is doing reputational, long-term harm to the Conservative & Unionist Party.

This is clear for all to see! The two protagonists vying for Party Leadership, and ultimately Prime Minister – are effectively thrashing the brand.

The only possible winners in this contest – are the ‘other’ political parties. Who, by comparison, are ‘out of the public eye’ – for the time-being.

While Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak are literally ‘fighting it out’ in front of Tory fully-paid-up-members, in order to influence their vote... by being tougher than his/her opponent.

Almost 20 years ago, another former female leader of the Conservative Party, then as chair of the party’s annual conference in Bournemouth, stated some home-truths – which are still relevant today.

Theresa May stated: “There’s a lot we need to do in this party of ours. Our base is too narrow, and so, occasionally, are ‘our’ sympathies. You know what some people call us – the ‘Nasty Party’...”

She went on: “The term ‘Nasty Party’ applied to Conservative Party members with traditional conservative stances, which include being anti-gay, anti-minorities, pro-business, and, lacking concern for the poor.”

If I might suggest, Liz Truss is ahead of Rishi Sunak (on paper at least) because she is prepared to show the Tory party faithful, her combative qualities.

Whilst Rishi Sunak, by contrast, has demonstrated his more ‘one nation’ tendency, of inclusion...

However, as this battle is raging in the Conservative Party, the world is going to hell in a hand-basket, as the phrase goes. With care-taker Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer – both ‘missing in action’ - on holiday.

While the Governor of the Bank of England has given each and every one of us a ‘wake-up’ call, (i) by raising the UK bank rate to its highest level in 27 years, and (ii) warning of a likely recession in the Autumn.

Moreover, UK plc is drifting without leadership until September 5... apparently when “he” or “she” is crowned. A pyrrhic victory by any measure. God Help Us?

Jim Mitchell

via email

Truss will be gold dust for the opposition

Whether your credibility is stretched more by Rishi’s rashness or Lizzie’s largesse I think Joe Public has pretty much realised we’ve reached the unenviable and awful choice of the condemned man asked to choose between being shot or hanged.

We have a dilemma, and as our fate lies in the hands of the bastions of all things ‘Right and Proper’, the Conservative Party faithful.

I fear it’ll be Lizzie who rises to the fore but ultimately, like our condemned man, the upshot will be the same. Financial Armageddon.

It’s hard to imagine why these two people, so desperately scrabbling for this job, cannot see how this is going to pan out and their airy and unsubstantiated promises can only come to naught.

I suppose if you’re in politics, lying and blank denial are part of your supposedly ‘honourable’ calling but chickens always come home to roost and with a general election now just visible on the horizon I wonder which new Conservative leader Sir Kier Starmer would prefer to see in No 10?

I think we all know which candidate will suit him nicely.

Liz Truss as PM has to be the ultimate goal for any Labour leader looking for support from flip-flopping voters.

She’s going to be ‘gold dust’ for the Opposition.

Steve Mackinder

Denver

ABORTION

We should not allow this barbaric act

Both Jo Rust and Kevin Waddington raise the all important question. Is the unborn child just ‘a thing’, a blob, an inhuman foetus, a zygote, an unimportant mass of cells, (as all abortionists claim), or is it a miraculous human child from the moment of conception, with a unique purpose from Almighty God, as the Bible clearly says? The contrast of the two views is quite stark. The choice can literally be a matter of life or death.

Basically, you will see that abortionists always make the mistake of dehumanising the beautiful creation of a child. This is the only way they justify the killing of a perfectly healthy unborn child.

But the reality of that new life is very different. Medical science has revealed that a baby’s heartbeat starts just 17 days after conception; its mouth begins to open after just 21 days; its arms and legs are taking shape within 28 days; and, by 35 days, the baby has a brain that produces an actual impulse, and also has eyes, ears, mouth, kidneys and liver by then; by 8 weeks, it can grasp an object. By 24 weeks, the baby has all the recognizable features of an unborn child, and yet the Abortion Act allows the legalised killing of a perfectly healthy human child up to 24 weeks.

Now the Abortion lobby are pressing for full-term abortion. Shockingly, abortionists like Jo believe they have the right to end the life of such a beautiful child. I find that appalling.

Look at what happens when expectant mothers go for their first scans. When they see the miraculous image of their child on the screen, do they say “O, look at that foetus’, or ‘O my, look at that zygote’? Of course not! They always say, (many times with tears of joy), “That’s my baby!”

Jo makes a silly comparison with the American gun laws, but she misunderstands the American Constitution. The Constitution allows Americans to bear arms to defend themselves, never to murder innocent people. Similarly, as I said, the Constitution never gives women the right to murder innocent unborn children through abortion.

I did openly accept the minority of genuine cases for abortion, such as rape or where the mother’s life is in great danger. Apart from these exceptions, both father and mother are responsible for the child they have created.

Remember, Jo and Kevin, like all of us you were once a tiny human embryo inside your mothers. Surely, you are now grateful that they cared for you and didn’t abort you? Surely you had a right to life?

We were all deeply disturbed by the terrible killings of children such as ‘Baby P’, Star Hobson, Lauren Wade and Victoria Climbie. And we are right to be disturbed by the senseless murder of six million Jews in the Holocaust. But surely we should be even more disturbed by the nearly 10 million aborted British children that have had their lives cruelly ended since 1967? Surely, Kevin Waddington, that is going back to the Stone Age?

Do we continue to turn a blind eye to this appalling slaughter of human babies, or do we come to our senses and stop this barbaric Act?

Sheridan Payne

South Lynn