'Politics requires that a leader be able to take his or her troops with them' - Your Letters: July 24
PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: Members of the court in full dress at a rehearsal of Love's Labour's Lost, pictured here in June, 1979. The play by William Shakespeare was being performed at Ludlow Castle as part of the town's festival.

LEADERSHIP IS LACKING IN PM
R Norton's letter acknowledged that in democracies leaders are rightly challenged. At the conclusion of the letter there does however, appear to be an excuse provided for Starmer's awful leadership.
The letter speaks to a "lawyers natural caution" and then talks about the complexity of issues being faced.
I would however point out that, politics requires that a leader be able to take his or her troops with them. To do this a leader must surely show sound judgement and take wide soundings of those he or she requires to support them. With the winter fuel payment and the then disability changes Starmer did not do this effectively.
He has been forced into two massive U turns in less than one year in office and all this with an overall majority of 180! At the same time his hiking of NI on employers is causing unemployment to rise and depressing business start up and expansions. Economic growth is anaemic and even the OBR now says the public finances are unsustainable. We are broke.
Starmer has in 12 months made everything worse. He has failed to deliver on election promises to curb illegal migration, making zero noticeable progress in smashing the gangs responsible for the illegal boat crossings.





