Tories must stick up for their party’s values if they want to be re-elected

sir – Jacob Rees-mogg, the Business Secretary, justified the Tory tax U-turn by saying: “This is politics” (report, October 4). Some of us remember that it used to be politics to stick up for what one believed, having achieved power, and not cave in at the first “little turbulence”. It used to be that politics was about making your case.

Ben Houchen, the Tory mayor of the Tees Valley, called for the removal of the bankers’ bonus cap to be reversed, saying that “the economic argument is understandably a sound one” but that “most of the country” might not want it.

The lowering of the top tax rate from 45p to 40p (still a huge amount for the state to take in addition to National Insurance) was also economically sound, as is increasing benefits in line with average earnings rather than an inflation rate that is on its way down.

Mr Houchen and his ilk should make this argument and support their new leader. It would not only be right, but it would also get them re-elected.

Tim Coles

Carlton, Bedfordshire sir – The Tory party has a problem. The grass roots wanted Liz Truss. The MPS want Rishi Sunak.

Eddie Peart

Rotherham, South Yorkshire

sir – We thought we were getting another Margaret Thatcher, but it seems we have another Theresa May. Trevor Joyce

Canterbury, Kent

sir – After taking all that time to choose a new leader, many Tory MPS are not happy with the result.

Instead of accepting it and doing their best for the country, they are behaving like Remainers who did not accept Brexit. How many of the current rebel MPS criticised Remainers for doing this?

These MPS should be ashamed of themselves for not accepting the democratic vote, and should move on and work with Liz Truss to get this country moving up, not down. Bernard Howes

Godalming, Surrey sir – Michael Gove, a key Brexiteer in the referendum campaign, is now behaving like a Remainer. Is he eyeing up a job with the BBC?

Simon Mcilroy

Croydon, Surrey

sir – We all knew that Liz Truss was not Margaret Thatcher, but we hoped; and we all knew that Boris Johnson was not Churchill, but we hoped.

In failing to support their party leader – again – Michael Gove and the rebels around him have probably hammered the last nail into their own coffin, and handed the 2024 election to Labour.

This is a party in thrall to wokery, unable to define a woman, that takes the knee, that for years happily supported the dangerous eccentric Jeremy Corbyn as its leader, that hated Brexit and wanted to reverse it, that wanted longer, tougher lockdowns, that pursues the politics of envy, and that is home to MPS who are now happy to join picket lines. God help us. Major Nigel Price (retd) Wilmslow, Cheshire