You correctly warn that John Bolton, President Trump’s choice as national security adviser, is “a truly dangerous man” (“An appointment that endangers world peace”, leader), but you did not discuss the serious implications for the UK and Syria of the summary sacking of Bolton’s predecessor.

The last public statements before their recent sackings by national security adviser, HR McMaster, and secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, contained strong criticism of Russia. They both called for sanctions against Russia because of the nerve gas attack in Salisbury, the bombing of Syrian civilians, support for Bashar al-Assad and his use of chemical weapons.

Trump has somewhat reluctantly supported diplomatic expulsions, but financial sanctions against Russian oligarchs would have far greater impact.

Theresa May and Boris Johnson should urgently seek support for UN financial sanctions against Russia among the western and Middle Eastern countries that will bear the brunt of an even worse refugee crisis should the Assad regime “win” in Syria.

Keith Barnham



Frome



Somerset

General HR McMaster is resigning as national security adviser, to be replaced by the ultra-hawkish, bomb-throwing John Bolton. This spells doom for US foreign policy.

Bolton has openly backed war against Iran and North Korea and was a prominent supporter of the “shock and awe” US invasion of Iraq, which was the worst foreign policy decision in decades, squandering trillions of dollars and sending thousands of Americans and millions of Iraqis to their early graves. He has openly backed bombing Iran and North Korea, which might spell the early demise of the planet. He and his unstable future boss are a clear and present danger.

For decades, Bolton has been a vehement critic of the UN and the International Criminal Court. This war hawk, like his boss, escaped the Vietnam draft. What incredible hypocrites!

Tejinder Uberoi

Los Altos

California

Bevin Boys were welcomed

I, too, was a Bevin Boy in the Second World War and recorded my experiences at the Allerton Bywater pit in a painting shortly after I left (“Deep dark art of the Bevin Boys who powered wartime Britain”, News).

It shows men known as “rippers” replacing the distorted steel girders while the overhead rock was ripped out. It was a dangerous job. The painting was given to the Wakefield Coal Mining Museum some years ago. I do not know if it is on display at the moment.

I always watch the remaining Bevin Boys parading in the Armistice Day procession at the Cenotaph. I felt it was unfair to single us out from the regular miners, who gave their lives to a dangerous and demanding job. There was no such discrimination in the other services between regular and conscripted men. I was well treated by the miners and their families and grew to respect their courage and hard work. There were many highly intelligent and gifted men among them. It was certainly a challenging experience for a 19-year-old from an east coast resort who had never been further than London.

Donald Fairhall

Derby

Keeping our data safe

Andrew Rawnsley brings to our attention the legislation going through parliament that will give political parties special privileges using our personal data (“Politicians can’t control the digital giants…”, Comment).

The Ipsos Mori veracity index of 2017 had MPs rock bottom of professions whom the public trust to tell the truth — 17% for politicians in general and 19% for ministers. Hopefully, the current scandal will inform the final bill and ensure that there are watertight restrictions on the content of the data, its provenance and who has access.

John Trounce

Hove

He was everybody’s King

Martin Luther King’s legacy most immediately benefited black people, but your choice of six black (and British) cultural figures to elaborate on that legacy diminishes what he stood for (“The day hope died”, New Review).

A white British man, I came to political consciousness as he was becoming more widely known. Watching on television as he led protests and reading his books had a profound influence on my political and spiritual growth, while alerting me to the suffering of African Americans. With his death, and that of Robert Kennedy months later, I felt lights had been put out that had lit more than their own country. King stood for what he called a “non-racial” society. To choose only black figures to commemorate his loss narrows his universal appeal.

Terry Philpot



Limpsfield Chart, Surrey

Australian man in decline

If we were to shed a wider beam of insight on to Australia cricket’s ball-tampering disgrace (“Smith in line of fire…”, Sport), we would likely discover that this is symptomatic of a general decline in the effectiveness of leadership role models in an Australia that has become more focused on social media-driven celebrity than real professional achievement.

But that would be letting failed masculinity off the hook. It’s time that many men in positions of power pulled their hands out of their pants, looked life in the eye and took their knocks on the chin.



Mark Dyer

Rockingham, Western Australia

The price of selling off land

I was the vicar in the village where they filmed The Vicar of Dibley from 1982 to 1999 (“Going, going… fury at £7m auction of social housing”, News). There were 35 homes, including six council-owned bungalows. One was bought by the tenant for £25,000, exercising right to buy, and sold as soon as possible for £250,000. They are now selling for about £600,000. Soon, there will be no land for social housing in the beautiful Chiltern Hills; it requires the calculation of an affordable rent without the cost of land.

I now live on the edge of the most deprived ward in Haringey. The council wants to sell the land supporting the 1,100 homes of the Northumberland Park council estate at market prices, so distributing the deprivation to other wards and councils. Soon, there will be no land left for social housing in London.



Rev Paul Nicolson



Taxpayers Against Poverty

London N17