I was pleased to see your editorial challenging the rightwing narrative from George Robertson, who is demanding less welfare and more warfare (<a href="The" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="tp-feedurl" title="" >https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/14/the-guardian-view-on-defence-spending-should-uk-security-rest-with-donald-trump">The Guardian view on defence spending: should the UK’s security rest with Donald Trump?, 14 April).

Why not extend the argument about the purpose of UK defence strategy to Nato more generally? The role of Nato is tied to the declining power of the US, as we can see when Donald Trump resents paying for it, but then expects support when he lashes out at other nations such as Iran.

The enormous controversy about the vetting process leading up to, and following, the appointment of Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador in Washington reveals a labyrinth within Whitehall and our constitution – which is a revelation even to those of us who have been in public life for over half a century (<a href="Revealed:" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="tp-feedurl" title="" >https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/16/revealed-mandelson-failed-vetting-but-foreign-office-overruled-decision">Revealed: Mandelson failed vetting but Foreign Office overruled decision, 16 April).

Three quite separate elements can appear contradictory, but can all be true at the same time. So, Keir Starmer could have been entirely telling the truth at the dispatch box last September when he said that all processes had been followed.

A nursery worker has been sentenced to more than three years in prison and the nursery fined £240,000 after a 14-month-old boy was restrained and died in their care.

Noah Sibanda died after he was physically restrained face-down with a blanket over his head while being put to sleep at the Fairytales Day Nursery in Dudley in December 2022. He was left unchecked for two hours before he was found unresponsive. He was pronounced dead an hour later in hospital.