Our readers from across the county give their weekly take on the biggest issues impacting Kent and beyond.

Some letters refer to past correspondence which can be found by clicking here.

Coronation was a missed opportunity

Like many of your readers, I watched the coronation of King Charles III on TV on Saturday. It was certainly a spectacular display of old-fashioned pageantry with antique costumes and medieval rituals involving spurs and a sword, orb and sceptre. Many would say that, although it cost us taxpayers an inordinate amount of money, it was a shining example of what ‘The Brits do best’ and of course no one could dispute this. Others, however, would like me, say it was a lost opportunity to present a monarchy relevant to Britain today.

The King’s coronation made no acknowledgement to the fact that much has changed in Britain since the coronation of his mother 70years ago.

Britain is now a multi- cultural society where, unlike 1953, most of its citizens are not Christians and only 15% consider themselves to be followers of the Church of England. Yet here we heard, at the heart of the ceremony and laid down by statute in 1688, that the King, in the presence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, declared himself to maintain the Protestant religion and swear to uphold the Church of England’s position as the established religion in England.

There was a superficial nod to modernity when Jewish, Muslim and other faith leaders were assigned to walk-on roles and there was singing in Welsh and Greek and non-Christians had roles in presenting the King’s regalia. However, in all truth, this was a missed opportunity to present a coronation for our time. This was clearly demonstrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury’s invitation to those in the congregation and those of us at home “To make homage to the King”. This was presented as a progressive reform since in previous coronations it was a right reserved to the Lords. In fact, because it asked us to assert our subordinate status as subjects to the King, rather than as equal citizens, there was nothing egalitarian or modern about it.

If King Charles lives as long as his mother, I doubt if I will be around to witness the coronation of the King’s eldest son as King William V. However, I wouldn’t mind betting that his coronation will be a very different affair to that of his father and, as a pragmatist, he will make the necessary changes to modernise the British monarchy and show its relevance to 21st century Britain.

John Cooper

Most people fed up with left and right politics

For so long now I have had to endure listening, watching and reading about what the media call ‘The Culture War’ between those who are free-thinking progressive liberals and those who are staunch traditionalist conservatives. They are totally fixated on using whatever media sources they can exploit to destroy each other’s policies and beliefs.

There are so many leaders and influencers in the media and the press who focus on certain key issues and then try to coerce me into either supporting them unquestionably or encouraging me to hate it.

To me it feels that there are two colossal powers to either side of us called The Left and The Right and both of these factions have become so entrenched in their own principals and beliefs that those of us who feel caught between the two (to which I include myself) are slowly being crushed by the weight of both of them.

I genuinely believe that we, as a society, at this stage of the so-called ‘Culture War’ will start to see the emergence of a third faction - The Middle.

I firmly believe that we, The Middle, chose to see all the groups in our society (liberals, conservatives, feminists, environmentalists, trans, BLM, etc) with a much broader, more balanced approach, without preference of one over the others. For us we value our sense of individuality and impartiality, and in particular a more equal view of the left and right.

As an individual I have just as much right to support transgender athletes in women’s sports as I have to read anything published by J. K. Rowling.

I’ve got no intention of subscribing to The Mirror – but nor have I any intention of subscribing to The Telegraph either.

I find rightwing conservatives like Laurence Fox to be just as arrogant and contemptuous as leftwingers like James O’Brien.

I don’t want to particularly choose either side. I don’t want to say “that community is better than that community” or “that group is right and that group is wrong”.

To me both of these factions have their strengths and weaknesses but why is it that those in ‘The Middle’ (like me) are not allowed to maintain a sense of neutrality ?

If this really is a ‘Culture War’, those of us who identify as ‘The Middle’ will have to act as the ambassadors and diplomats in this unending conflict.

It is we, who will have to bridge the gap between the left and the right.

It has now got to the stage where we who have become weary of this fighting and arguing will now start making our own voices heard against BOTH of them.

We did not start this war originally but I feel that it’s now got to the stage where we will begin to end it by ourselves.

This war, no matter how many years it will continue, will ultimately end with one inevitable outcome: Stalemate.

To me this isn’t a Culture War, it’s a Culture Cold War!

James Solly

Tough for Tories to win the next election

The local election results were nothing short of disastrous for the Conservative Party. And they only have themselves to blame after 13 years of incompetence, sleaze, corruption and a litany of puerile excuses.

After the results I read many comments stating that Rishi Sunak still has, let us say, 17 months to address the nation’s woes and win the next election.

Unfortunately those months ahead are probably going to contain more revelations, more resignations, more internal investigations and possibly some arrests! If I was Mr Sunak I’d be looking around for a well-paid job in investment banking and soon!

Robert Boston

People happier with less in the 1950s

I am so pleased to see Mr Duff has adopted the modern world and moved on from the the 1950s. I was born in 1950 and many young people I have spoken to about those times say they are envious of that time. I shall remind him of but a few.

A first rate health service, with first rate matrons in charge and free hospital parking; after an operation you healed at your pace, no one hurried you to meet targets or free beds; superb convalescent homes and better still cottage hospitals. First rate NHS dental care for all, none of this pretentious treatment handed out to those lucky to be accepted at a dental practice.

G.P appointments, booked as and when suited your requirements, no quibble, none of the modern day receptionist interrogation, a GP that knew you, your medical history and was always willing to pay house visits. Rents as reasonable rates and house prices within people's pockets, high streets bursting with shops and free parking. Children played with little fear and always there was a ‘Bobby’ close at hand on his beat.

The milkman, butcher, baker and greengrocer all called daily at your house at no extra cost.

No litter, no smart motorways, no computers, no social media, people on the whole were a lot happier with a lot less.

I wonder if Mr Duff believes the future to be artificial intelligence, or is it already here?

David Grummitt

Non-violent protests ignored by media

I am so glad that reader Colin Bullen is a vegetarian and believes that animals have rights. However, he criticises the new militant group, Animal Rising (originally Animal Rebellion), for disrupting the recent Grand National, stating their protest was just to "show off."

Has he not heard of the saying "to change the law, you must break the law." Think of the suffragettes!

I know from my own experience as an animal rights campaigner just how hard it is to get publicity and abolish laws that permit deliberately inflicted animal suffering.

Unfortunately, the media rarely reports peaceful campaigns, only those where there is militancy. Non violent protests are just not considered newsworthy so they rarely achieve anything. You have your democratic right to protest without making trouble. But then you go home and the animal abuse continues.

This protest made the front page of every Sunday paper but if those horses had died without the protesting, there would have been minimal media coverage.

And to say the disruption caused those horse deaths, one only has to check the number of horses killed in the Grand National since the year 2000. There have been 62, when little or no protesting took place.

There is so much hidden cruelty to animals and it is not just in the horse racing industry but in nearly every other area of animal exploitation.

The poor, usually incarcerated, creatures have no voice except those of people who have the courage to speak up for them and take action.

Vivien Clifford

Self-interest has caused service decline

In our democratic society, elections are an important aspect of how people participate in social life.

In the recent elections around seven out of every ten people did not vote. There are two reasons for this.

The first is action taken by government to remove education and housing out of the control of local authorities into undemocratic trusts and the creeping commercialisation of other services.

Added to this has been the transfer of the cost of local government from general taxation to local council tax by the long term reduction in the money transferred to local councils from government.

The introduction of photo ID has created a barrier to voting especially to that section of the community who do not have passports, driving licences or computers.

The second reason has been the pressure from government and others to stress individual concerns over community.

The more people look only to their own interests with complete disregard to the general need the more services decline. A process we see in transport and health.

In all of this the people who suffer most are young people, the disabled and those with the lowest personal resources and the greatest need.

Ralph A. Tebbutt

Running scared of talking about immigration

It would appear to me that the Tories have still not got the message, even after a resounding defeat by Labour and others at the local elections.

So how has this situation come about? If one reads the newspapers or listens to the media in general, they are all reporting that the Tories lost the local elections because of not building enough houses, or insufficient pay for civil servants, etc.

Nobody, has bothered to mention the main reason why the Tories lost the elections and that was because of immigration. It would seem to me that everyone is running scared of even mentioning immigration and are hoping that if they keep quite it will gently go away. Which, of course, it won’t.

Rather than send the illegal immigrants back to where they come from, the Tories are resettling the immigrants and simply rubber stamping their requests to stay in the country. The Conservatives must do something urgent to stop these boats coming across the channel, as the measures they have taken up to now - and the huge amounts of money they have thrown at the French – have failed to stop them to date.

I have badgered my MP on this subject but all I get is the same old rhetoric which has become very tiring. To me, the only way to stop them sweeping immigration under the carpet is to kick them out of office as they and the press are failing to carry out the wishes of the public by stifling comment.

Mr S. C. Anning