Readers' letters - June 12

I am an American, here on holiday and, like most Americans, I am appalled at the self-serving tweets by President Trump following the latest London terrorist attack.

Please do not tar all Americans with the Donald Trump brush.

The majority of Americans do not support President Trump in this or most of his other agenda items.

If the British people understand that President Trump is a bombastic, insensitive, even incompetent, egomaniac who got elected because the Democratic party had done a deal with Hillary Clinton, the only candidate who could have lost to Donald Trump, then perhaps they can ignore his rants and raves.

After all, during the 2018 elections if the Republicans lose enough seats in the House of Representatives they will desert Trump like rats deserting a sinking ship – and that will put an end to this disgraceful period of American history.

WE Feeman

Maryland, USA

terror

Misguided military forays

The truest words spoken in the election campaign were by Jeremy Corbyn in attributing the Manchester atrocity to past political failings of this country, notably over misguided military forays in Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan.

Did Tony Blair or David Cameron really believe that, when removing dictators who had seized power by coup d’état, then held it by force for decades, the resulting vacuum would be filled by democracy, instead of the anarchy and violence that prevails today? Here it took more than 700 years from Magna Carta for even the Universal Male Franchise at age 21 to be established.

Some of the blood lies on the hands of both these ex-Prime Ministers.

They are now coining the money in, while the resentment they created in North Africa and the Middle East over the deaths of many thousands of innocent Iraqi and Libyan civilians boils over into attacks here by suicide bombers etc.

DS Boyes

via email

terror

Help to stamp out this curse

I totally agree with Theresa May when she says “enough is enough”.

The Manchester bombing of young children and their parents was a game changer.

It’s a great shame it has taken three recent tragic events to bring everyone to this point.

However you dress this up, it is in the Muslim name and it’s time for the whole Muslim faith to come together and put a stop to this madness in our society, and in the wider world.

The answer lies in the mosques.

I want to see the best of the Muslim community and I would like to see it sooner rather than later.

So I say this to the leaders of the Muslim faith – let’s see you stand up for what’s right, do the decent thing and help us stamp out this curse in our society.

C R

via email

LOCAL HISTORY

This building should be listed

I see from the LP (June 6) that the old Dock House is for sale, yet again.

This genuine 1936 Art Deco building is, as your paper said, one of Preston’s signature buildings. Why then has it not been listed?

If people are falling over themselves to list the bus station, which I personally would demolish – brutalist style or no brutalist style – surely the Old Dock House deserves the same consideration?

Come on someone, get it listed before this building becomes yet another picture on your Looking Back archive and people say, as they do so often: “What a pity it has been demolished”.

Mrs Valerie E Andrews

St Annes on Sea

politics

May has no mandate to stay

Theresa May called a general election with a lead in the opinion polls of 20 per cent and predictions of a landslide victory by her friends in the media.

Theresa May sank to the gutter in this election with her day to day personal insults of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn who, in contrast, behaved impeccably, producing a brilliant manifesto. Unlike the Tories’ manifesto, this was fully costed, and he led the campaign brilliantly.

Labour is now strengthened in Parliament, receiving its highest share of the vote since 1997. Labour’s 10 per cent increase in popular support during a campaign is the biggest increase in British electoral history.

May has no mandate to stay. Like Elvis, she should leave the building and close the door behind her.

John Appleyard

via email

POLITICS

Political became too personal

The most disappointing aspect of the election campaign was the sheer vindictiveness of the personal attacks on Labour’s leader Jeremy Corbyn. By all means attack his policies, but giving the impression he was virtually a terrorist (as some Tory tabloids did) was beyond the pale.

Led by social media, I’m afraid that’s the way the world is going.

Tim Mickleburgh

Address supplied

Politics

Student vote distorted result

How can it be democratic that students who are only temporary residents in any consistency influence an election so much?

It’s now June and a lot of these students are finishing the course they have been doing for the last few years and will be going home soon.

Surely, they should be registered at their original home address and then have a postal vote? In my view, this has distorted the election result, particularly in cities which has a large transient student population.

Ralph Lennard

Address supplied