Now that Corbyn’s no longer a threat to the establishment, he’ll soon become the nation’s favourite uncle – The Independent

Martin Fleck is the latest of your letter-writers to gain some kind of lustful glee from dancing on the political grave of Jeremy Corbyn. Contra Mr Fleck’s “analysis”, if resilience and dignity in the face of relentless vituperative attacks and demonisation are the hallmarks of a great leader, then Corbyn goes down as one of Labour’s and Britain’s great leaders. 

Mark my words: once he’s no longer a threat to the establishment and their largesse, Corbyn will quickly become the nation’s favourite uncle, with gushing tributes coming from all political directions – just as happened with the late Tony Benn.

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As I write, I can hear the great man condemning the “odiousshh hypocrisshhy” of the right-wing establishment media determined to keep the wealthy in power at any price. And of course, he would have been absolutely right.

Wanda Lozinska
Stroud, Gloucestershire

The news in Scotland

The BBC, facing the possibility of being stripped of its GBP4bn revenue-raising licence fee amid growing tensions with the UK government, is now being criticised for lavishing GBP32m on its new Scotland-only channel after a precipitous decline in the popularity of its flagship show.

Under SNP government pressure, BBC Scotland was launched a year ago, but viewing figures for The Nine frequently slump to less than 1 per cent of its launch audience. This is hardly a surprise. The great thing about living here is that hardy anything truly newsworthy ever happens.

Leading the news with the ubiquitous “chip-pan fire in Falkirk” and car dash-cam footage of a foreign tourist backing his car into a Highland harbour is fine but viewers need terrorist mayhem.

We had a bit of terrorism at Glasgow airport, but it was such a farce it doesn’t count.

Rev Dr John Cameron
St Andrews 

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rightCreated with Sketch.

1/10 Joint 10th: Jason Mohammad & Vanessa Feltz

Each earns GBP355,000

PA

2/10 9. Claudia Winkleman

Salary: GBP370,000

PA

3/10 8. Zoe Ball

Salary: GBP370,000

PA

4/10 7.

Andrew Marr

Salary: GBP390,000

PA

5/10 6. Alan Shearer

Salary: GBP440,000

PA

6/10 5. Steve Wright

Salary: GBP465,000

PA

7/10 4.

Huw Edwards

Salary: GBP490,000

PA

8/10 3. Graham Norton

Salary: GBP610,000

PA

9/10 2. Chris Evans

Salary: GBP1.25m (Evans left the BBC in December 2018)

PA

10/10 1.

Gary Lineker

Salary: GBP1.75m

PA

1/10 Joint 10th: Jason Mohammad & Vanessa Feltz

Each earns GBP355,000

PA

2/10 9. Claudia Winkleman

Salary: GBP370,000

PA

3/10 8. Zoe Ball

Salary: GBP370,000

PA

4/10 7.

Andrew Marr

Salary: GBP390,000

PA

5/10 6. Alan Shearer

Salary: GBP440,000

PA

6/10 5. Steve Wright

Salary: GBP465,000

PA

7/10 4.

Huw Edwards

Salary: GBP490,000

PA

8/10 3. Graham Norton

Salary: GBP610,000

PA

9/10 2. Chris Evans

Salary: GBP1.25m (Evans left the BBC in December 2018)

PA

10/10 1.

Gary Lineker

Salary: GBP1.75m

PA

Assange’s immortality

Julian Assange could be jailed for up to 175 years in the US if convicted, according to a report in The Independent.

Unless immortality is one of Assange’s more exceptional attributes, jailing him for 175 years would be a remarkable achievement. I suspect your writer probably intended to say that Mr Assange could be sentenced to up to 175 years in jail.

D Maughan Brown
York

We need a rail upgrade

Discussion on the concept of a rail fixed link connection interlinking the United Kingdom is becoming the zeitgeist – and rightly so. Post-Brexit competitiveness requires an upgrade in UK wide infrastructure as a matter of urgency.

Freight of the island of Ireland could board trains at Belfast and proceed to continental Europe via Channel Tunnel. This would represent a major shift of freight from road to rail. By happy coincidence, such a scheme would necessitate the reinstatement of the Dumfries-Stranraer/Portpatrick line to secure such direct train access between Belfast and its destinations.

The European Commission defines the route from Cork to Stranraer, and then from Stranraer to continental Europe, as a very strategic trans-European route.

John Barstow
Pulborough, West Sussex

Dominic’s had his day

Dominic Cummings will be “here today, gone tomorrow,” according to former Brexit secretary David Davis.

That’s OK, but could it not be here and gone today?

Eddie Dougall
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk