LETTERS – What rights were taken away?

‘Name and address supplied’ (Letters, September 26) berates Keir Starmer for “Taking away our rights”, without being clear what rights he is talking about.
Are his comments triggered by the response to the outbreak of riots and civil disturbance a few weeks ago? If so, what rights did Starmer take away? He was not the prosecutor of those penalised following those events. Prosecutions via the police and the courts were not for protesting, but for criminal acts committed in the course of protests, and the courts decided the punishments. Or doesn’t ‘Name and address supplied’ think throwing bricks at policemen, trying to burn down a hotel, and robbing shops, etc., are crimes?
The letter writer supports Anthony Williams’ views on Black Lives Matter. Crimes committed in the course of demonstrations should certainly be dealt with, but Mr Williams says BLM is ‘a Marxist organisation’
How does he define Marxist, or is it just a poisonous word to sway opinion?
The Rule of Law has been turned on its head, says ‘Name and address supplied’. He should try dropping the idea of wild exaggeration. I don’t oppose legitimate criticism of anyone, including Starmer, but letting fly with faked-up accusations, doesn’t help get to the truth.
Finally, ‘Name and address supplied’ delivers a plug for Reform and Nigel Farage, which I suspect was the real purpose of his letter.
Farage is a great orator; but it’s what his oratory is designed to lead to which should be of concern.
So far, his speeches are designed to swell recruitment: we have heard little or nothing about what he would do in government.
In his speech to the Reform conference, he said, inter alia, that he wanted this country to be “Christian’. Will he re-introduce laws that demand we all go to church on Sundays? If not, what did he mean. I think the answer is ’nothing’: it just sounded good and, as an orator, he knew what would please the audience.
Anyway, ‘Name & address supplied’, try asking Mr Farage if he was pleased with the special ’thank you’ gift he was reported to have received from his rich American friend after Brexit succeeded.

John Tippler
Spalding

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