The Sunday Telegraph - 11.08.2019

The Sunday Telegraph Sunday 11 August 2019 *** 19

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Letters to the Editor

A

s we strive for a better deal with

the EU, we need to view our

relationship in the context of our

wider vision for the UK after Brexit.

Fifteen years ago, when I was posted

as a Foreign Office lawyer to The

Hague, I remember my counterparts

from Japan, Australia, South Korea and

Brazil lamenting the introverted

perspective of the EU and the UK at

the expense of the rest of the world.

It was a salutary warning. Today, the

UK wants a strong relationship with

our European partners. But Brussels

isn’t the only game in town. It’s time

we broadened our horizons, and my

first visits as Foreign Secretary – to the

US, Canada, Thailand and Mexico –

have shone a light on the opportunities

for a truly global Britain.

In the US, President Trump told me

how much America values its close

friendship with Britain, his high

regard for our Prime Minister, and his

enthusiasm for a free trade deal with

the UK. How serious are they? After

our meeting, secretary of state Mike

Pompeo told reporters that the US was

poised “at the doorstep, pen in hand”,

ready to sign a deal – which would

boost business and enhance consumer

choice on both sides of the Atlantic.

I also met vice president Mike Pence

and national security adviser John

Bolton, reflecting the fact that our

relationship goes far beyond trade.

Crucially, we work together to defend

our shared values and to respond to

security threats – whether by

protecting international shipping from

the menace of Iran’s Revolutionary

Guard or striving to secure North

Korea’s denuclearisation.

Few countries have been a better

friend than Canada, which I visited

earlier in the week. I spoke to business

representatives, who committed to

investing more in the UK, and

discussed with Canadian foreign

minister Chrystia Freeland the need

for a smooth transition on our trade as

we leave the EU.

Our vision for global Britain also

involves promoting values. Ms

Freeland and I pledged to work

together to protect media freedoms

globally. I heard about Canada’s

experience of adopting a Magnitsky

Act to impose visa bans and asset

freezes on those responsible for gross

human rights abuses. Once we’ve left

the EU and regained control of our own

sanctions rules, this government will

implement the “Magnitsky” provisions

of the UK Sanctions Act. That means

human rights abusers anywhere in the

world will face consequences for their

actions, with any assets they hold in

the UK frozen and a ban on travelling

here. We will ensure that global

Britain is not a safe haven for those

who profit from torturing others.

Beyond old friends, we must deepen

our ties with the world’s growth

markets – from Asia to Latin America.

So last week, I was delighted to take

up an invitation from the Association

of South-East Asian Nations to attend

their meeting of foreign ministers in

Bangkok. In fewer than 20 years, the

total GDP of the ten nations in this

club has expanded almost sixfold to

nearly $3 trillion today. Scarcely

anywhere in the world could match

this rate of growth. Now is the time to

bolster our commitment to the

Asia-Pacific region, develop stronger

trade, and work together to ensure the

stability that allows us all to prosper.

The final leg of my trip again reflects

the opportunities of the future. Mexico

has a population of 126 million and an

economy of over $1.2 trillion. UK

exports to Mexico totalled £2.3 billion

in 2017, up 18 per cent in one year. Red

London buses, built by a Scottish

We will always stay close to

our European friends, but

Brussels is not the only

trading partner in town

I

n the week that a police officer was assaulted

with a machete, it’s about time the Tories

turned serious on crime. For years their

reputation for toughness has been

squandered against a background of bad

priorities, budget cuts and political

correctness. While Britons were worrying about

knife attacks, Theresa May’s regime was talking

about removing the bars from windows to make

jails feel more “like home”.

As we report today, there has been a dramatic

increase in the use of tagging, letting thousands of

extra prisoners out early. This was sanctioned by

the last justice secretary, say prison experts, in

order to tackle chronic overcrowding in jails.

That’s a problem, absolutely, but no argument for

laxity. Ministry of Justice data show that the

majority of criminals jailed for between six months

and four years are released less than halfway

through their sentences – some as early as a fifth of

the way through.

Boris Johnson has promised he will fix the system.

Tomorrow he will meet with police chiefs,

prosecutors, former judges, courts administrators

and prison bosses at Downing Street to press for a

tougher stance on sentencing. The Government

also has to bite the bullet and invest in greater

prison capacity. The Sunday Telegraph can disclose

that billions of pounds will be put aside to build as

many as five new facilities to deliver up to 6,

new places. This strategy worked in the Nineties:

when more people went to jail, the crime rate fell.

We can reveal that the PM also wants to review

the entire notion of automatic early release of

serious criminals – and it’s about time. When

victims are told a perpetrator is going to jail for a

specified number of years, they expect the convict

to live in a cell (with bars) for the full length – not

be released halfway through on licence in the

community.

Such issues are close to the hearts of many voters,

including Mr Johnson’s own girlfriend, Carrie

Symonds. A victim of John Worboys, the so-called

black cab rapist, she campaigned successfully

against his early release. Sentencing in this country

needs to be tough, clear and honest – for the sake

of public order and to ensure justice is truly done.

Tough stance on

crime is long overdue

I

t is now, apparently, okay to wear white trainers

to smart events. The Duchess of Cambridge

wore them at the Chelsea Flower Show and the

Cowes regatta; Dame Emma Thompson was seen

in a pair when she received her damehood.

Melinda Gates applauds British women for having

the “strength” to wear them to work, although one

suspects that real strength would be a man

operating heavy machinery in high heels.

Comfy footwear makes sense at outdoor events,

but to visit the Palace to receive an honour? The

objection isn’t sexist: it would be just as odd if the

PM had tea at Buckingham Palace in a bomber

jacket. Standards are kept not only for the wearer’s

benefit but in deference to the occasion. Hence,

the Queen doesn’t open Parliament in a pair of

slacks, despite any temptation she may have.

Trouble afoot

E

conomic confidence is key to a successful

Brexit, deal or no deal. If the public is fed a

diet of negative stories, those tales of woe will

become a self-fulfilling prophecy, driving away

investors and discouraging consumers. Obviously,

news organisations have a duty to report the facts

and, yes, to provide a fair assessment of hopes and

fears. But some of the information floating around

is just fake news.

Some viewers of Wednesday’s edition of BBC

Newsnight felt that its claim that 45,000 dairy

cows could be slaughtered in Northern Ireland if

Britain leaves the EU without a deal was somewhat

speculative. The Department of Agriculture says it

has no such plans. The head of the Ulster Farmers’

Union, which is a critic of a no-deal Brexit, called

the BBC’s story “scare tactics”. He said the figure of

45,000 appeared to have been “plucked out of the

air”. The BBC was quoting industry figures.

Michael Gove intends to set up a response unit

run by civil servants to monitor the media for

half-truths or myths and offer rebuttal – and it’s a

commonsense part of Brexit planning. An official

response is necessary to disseminate correct

information and reassure the world that Britain is

open for business. If any Remainers complain, we

would remind them that during the referendum

the Government splashed £9 million on a leaflet

making the case for EU membership.

Fake news has become a problem more widely,

undermining truth and trust. It is our view that

social media platforms, so often the host for wild

misinformation, should be held responsible for

what they publish. Meanwhile, this newspaper will

continue to do its bit to inform the national debate,

without fear or favour.

A false economy

manufacturer, now ride along Paseo

de la Reforma in Mexico City.

But we can do better in Latin

America. Here’s one example. Two

thirds of Mexicans have no bank

accounts – but half of them have a

smartphone. That’s a great

opportunity for innovative British

businesses. With a bright future

outside the EU, we will help Mexican

firms trade more freely with the UK.

Wherever I travel, I take the Prime

Minister’s message of optimism. We

will remain strong European partners.

But there is a wider world out there for

us to re-discover. By the end of my first

fortnight as Foreign Secretary, I have

met the foreign ministers of 22

countries across the world. I am struck

by how much they want to strengthen

their ties with us. They too see the

great benefits offered by Brexit to

deepen our partnerships around the

world.

Together there is more that we can

and will do to enhance global

prosperity and stability and defend our

shared values of freedom, democracy

and tolerance. So, let’s raise our game,

rediscover our national self-

confidence, and grasp the tremendous

opportunities that lie ahead.

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ESTABLISHED 1961

A truly global future awaits us after Brexit

DOMINIC RAABC RAAB

READ MORE at

telegraph.co.uk/opinion

SIR – Defence of the realm should be

the first priority of any Prime Minister

• and I hope that Boris Johnson, as he
  goes round the country doling out
  money, will find some coppers for our
  Armed Forces.
  In 2010 David Cameron greatly
  reduced our ability to defend
  ourselves. The RAF has fewer than
  200 frontline aircraft, the Navy is
  totally overstretched and the Army
  could barely raise a brigade. It is
  rumoured that Russia’s new
  submarines can operate within our
  waters with impunity. Our next coastal
  surveillance aircraft are due over the
  next 10 years, and until then we must
  rely on our Nato allies and the US.
  Our weakness is highlighted in the
  Strait of Hormuz, where there is just
  one ship to protect all of our trade
  passing close to Iran. We are often told
  that our warships are very capable –
  but they can’t be in two places at once.
  We build over-complicated ships
  when we should be building smaller
  ones. We also need sailors to man
  them. These changes must begin now.

Important though Brexit is, our ability

to defend ourselves is paramount.

Paul James

York

SIR – When the ratio of serving frigates

to living, former First Sea Lords

(Letters, August 4) drops below three

to one, something is surely amiss with

the size of our Navy.

David Arnold

Tilston, Cheshire

SIR – It is all very well for former First

Sea Lords to express concern over

insufficient frigates and destroyers –

but successive, significant reductions

in the number of these ships occurred

during their time in office.

Any force level reduction would

have required the agreement, however

reluctant, of the serving First Sea Lord,

including the decision made in the

2010 strategic defence and security

review to reduce the number of

frigates and destroyers from 23 to 19.

Rear Admiral Philip Mathias

Southsea, Hampshire

SIR – I have a personal interest in the

future of the Harland and Wolff

shipyard in Belfast, which is under

threat, as the founder of the company,

Sir Edward Harland, was from

Scarborough.

The overriding reason why it must

be preserved is that it contains the

biggest dry dock in Britain, and the

only one capable of handling our two

new aircraft carriers (apart from the

commercial dock in which they were

constructed). There has been almost

no joined-up thinking in British naval

affairs for four decades.

The Type 26 frigate is finding much

favour in export markets. Our own

order for the Navy should be increased

to 16 vessels without delay, with one

hull entering the water every year

from 2023 onwards. Will it happen?

Probably not, as we have been

governed by sea-blind inadequates

since Sir James Callaghan – the last

premier to truly appreciate the value

of British sea power.

Mark Harland

Scarborough, North Yorkshire

Britain must start giving its Armed Forces the resources they deserve Onshore wind farms

SIR – Your report (August 4) on the

attempts to bring about a new surge in

onshore wind energy developments

mentioned that concerns have been

raised about visual intrusion and the

impact on birdlife.

However, no mention appears to

have been made of the poor efficacy of

these turbines. In England, some 30

per cent still fail to achieve a load (or

capacity) factor of 20 per cent. This

contrasts with the industry’s claim that

all such schemes are able to achieve at

least 30 per cent, and the increasing

number of offshore developments

achieving at least 40 per cent.

There should be an additional

condition for all onshore

developments: no support (including

subsidy) if their capacity factors fail to

achieve a rolling annual average in

excess of 30 per cent (and preferably

over 35 per cent). This is not such a

high bar. I know of one development

that originally achieved only 18 per

cent, but the most recent development

alongside it has reached 36 per cent.

In parts of Scotland – the windiest

country in Europe – the case should be

much stronger on efficacy grounds.

Unfortunately for proponents, visual

intrusion and impact on birdlife are

likely to come to the fore there.

In the case of any schemes

permitted to go ahead, if they fail to

achieve the agreed load factor, all

previous subsidies should be repaid.

Professor Michael Jefferson

Melchbourne, Bedfordshire

SIR – Surely it is time for all houses to

be built using photovoltaic roofing

tiles or slates. They are available.

An expansion of production would

provide employment for thousands

and result in new manufacturing

facilities – but most importantly it

would generate green energy. The

daylight is guaranteed, rain or shine.

Raymond Jones

Modbury, Devon

Population problems

SIR – Daniel Hannan (Comment,

August 4) criticises the Duke and

Duchess of Sussex, who plan to have

only two children, and points out that

the birth rate in England and Wales is

falling – but he forgets that the world

is already seriously overpopulated.

Meanwhile, supporting our

population of 60 million involves

sucking in resources from all over the

planet, at other people’s expense. Why

haven’t we listened to David

Attenborough’s warnings on this?

Peter Jeffery

Eastbourne, East Sussex

Boldly going

SIR – My father had a super expression

for death (Letters, August 4): “You

don’t die, you just lead the way.”

Dai Pierce

Fleet, Hampshire

SIR – Having reached the age when the

loss of friends is all too frequent, I find

the phrase, “She’s fallen off her perch”,

strangely comforting.

Janet Robson

Reading , Berkshire

SIR – I am a Londoner and have always

used the rhyming-slang expression

“brown bread”.

Paul Weeden

Barnet, Hertfordshire

SIR – As a junior anaesthetist training

in the NHS, I once overheard my

consultant telling a family that their

father, who had been very ill on the

intensive care unit, had now “gone to a

better place”.

The son promptly replied: “Do you

mean the local private hospital?”

Dr Michael V Copp

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

Dangers of Lariam

SIR – Peter Stanford’s piece on Lariam

(Features, August 4) highlights a

problem that I and others have been

complaining about for many years.

Lariam is very effective in the

treatment of cerebral malaria. It was

not, however, originally produced for

prevention. It was first widely used

during the war in South-East Asia.

Psychotic effects have always been

known to occur in about one in 10

users, but this has been ignored by

many, including our Army, for reasons

that are not clear. We have made sure

that it is forbidden to pilots, aircrew

and cabin crew, both military and civil.

Another serious problem with

Lariam is that it causes rapid

resistance in mosquitoes. Medical

officers in Africa 25 years ago begged

people not to use Lariam for fear of

introducing resistance. This seems to

have been ignored. South-East Asia’s

mosquitoes are almost completely

resistant, which removes a valuable

treatment option when all else fails.

The first case of recorded psychosis

was in an American VSO worker, who

thought his jeep was a plane, and tried

to make it fly. He and his passenger

survived the crash, which is why we

know he had become psychotic. The

evidence against the use of Lariam in

malaria prevention is there for all to

see, so why is it still available?

Dr Ian Perry

Compton Abbas, Dorset

SIR – If there was genuine “parity of

esteem” between mental and physical

health, as enshrined in the Health and

Social Care Act 2012, would

Mefloquine (Lariam) have lost its

licence? Had people taking it been

suffering strokes instead of psychosis,

there might be more decisive action.

Harry Allen

Plumley, Cheshire

Mean on screen

SIR – You report (August 4) that Trinny

and Susannah have been blamed for

the rise of “TV rudeness”.

Surely Anne Robinson started this

as the officious and offensive

quizmaster of The Weakest Link.

Joan Leith

London NW

SIR – Rudeness on television goes back

much further. That Was The Week That

Was in the 1960s, then Spitting Image

in the 1980s, gave people permission

to say whatever they wanted about

politicians, royalty and celebrities.

Whether this is a good or bad thing

is open to debate.

Jean Soames

Poole, Dorset

Locals characters: two cats stand guard at a pillar box in St Dominic Street, Valletta

ALAMY

SIR – Marianne Jones’s article

(Travel, August 4) about her return

to Malta brought back many happy

memories for me.

I first visited the country in 1956,

while serving in the Royal Navy.

Strait Street, known as “the Gut”,

was popular with sailors. Bars and

food stalls abounded, with cooked

chickens the size of sparrows.

Then, in the early Sixties, I had a

two-year posting to RAF Hal Far.

Our first flat was opposite the

neolithic temples at Tarxien. Our

youngest daughter had shiny white

hair – and as a result, like Ms Jones,

received much attention from the

locals, which she revelled in.

Many years later we returned. The

owner of the bar where we used go

was aghast upon discovering that

my wife had changed her drink of

choice from gin and bitter lemon to

gin and tonic.

Derrick G Smith

Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex

Happy memories of the streets of Malta

SIR – The Prime Minister’s plan to

“boost” the NHS with £1.8 billion of

additional funding (report, August 4)

is, sadly, likely to have only limited

success.

The health unions, led by the British

Medical Association, will ensure this

outcome. Only root-and-branch

reform of the NHS will give us a health

service that is comparable to those of

other advanced countries. Long waits

for GP appointments, and even longer

ones for hospital treatments, resulting

in late diagnoses, are the main reason

for our relatively low survival rates for

many serious conditions.

The NHS needs to embrace private

enterprise and shed the shackles of

Marxist dogma inherent in the system

set up by Aneurin Bevan 70 years ago.

Surely a determined Conservative

politician like Boris Johnson

understands that.

Ron Forrest

Wells, Somerset

SIR – Matt Hancock, the Health

Secretary, has pledged funding to

upgrade 20 hospitals across the

country, “from Cornwall to

Newcastle”.

Given the Prime Minister’s avowed

intention to heal the North-South

divide, I hope he reminds Mr Hancock

of an English county called

Northumberland. To the north of

Newcastle, there are 65 glorious miles

of castles, historic houses, beaches,

the Cheviot wilderness, moorland and

thriving market towns, stretching all

the way up to the border with

Scotland.

Oh yes – and there are almost

320,000 men, women and children

here, with this figure rising to nearly

one million during the tourist season.

All of these people need healthcare

just as much as those in the counties

that lie to the south.

Canon Alan Hughes

Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland

A funding boost isn’t enough to fix the NHS

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