Letters

If we are going to win this war in Syria, we need Syrian troops on the ground fighting with us. On this score, the Russian strategy is correct. The government’s aim may be yet another regime change. But that should be a secondary issue at the moment, when all the efforts should be going into destroying ISIS and its allies and that requires Syrian Government troops.

George Osborne ought to draw up a “plan B”, should universal credit turn out to be nothing more than an expensive fantasy.

Frank urges a 20p per litre levy on sugary drinks, to fund a national programme of meals during the school holidays

I am writing to ask whether the Institute for Fiscal Studies might analyse a proposal that is designed to protect the lowest paid workers from the Government’s planned tax credit reforms – the lowering of the earnings threshold and increasing of the taper rate – that are due to take effect in April 2016

Last week I gave the second annual Charity Commission Lecture, in which I looked at how better to pay for a growing agenda of work I hope the commission will undertake, including that as the regulator of the very important charitable sector.

Some 1.5 million poor children are currently disqualified from receiving free school meals because their parents claim tax credits to top up their income from low-paid work. Abolishing this penalty would help, in some considerable way, to cement the government’s commitment to ensuring work is the best route out of poverty.

David Edgar may be right (Corbyn’s opponents could be correct. But I’m still inspired, Opinion, 31 August), and he does more than raise our spirits. To win in 2020, Labour now needs to appeal to a much more fragmented electorate. To do so successfully, I believe we need to develop further the initiatives that David suggests.

The government calls its failure to reduce migrant numbers “deeply disappointing”. What, then, is to be done?

Jeremy has always held a principled stand on all issues while others in the Labour party have voted in an attempt to make Labour electable. I hoped Jeremy’s entrance into the race would ensure the other candidates would confront the “deficit denial” stance that clearly a very large proportion of Labour party members hold.