What matters most
Sir: In last week’s Spectator there was an interesting section where writers and thinkers were invited to advise the new Prime Minister what his administration should urgently address (‘What the new government must do first’, 8 May). Defence was not included but surely with a war in Afghanistan, an uncertain world and a defence budget under extreme pressure, it should be.
A foreign policy-led strategic defence review is the first priority, and a view taken as to what sort of country we want to be. We are clearly not a superpower but we have a seat on the Security Council and are a leading member of Nato and other international organisations and have an important position in Europe. Do we want to be an onlooker like some European countries? I would hope we can continue to be one of the leaders in the fields of defence and security of those countries who are not superpowers.
A case can be made for increasing the defence budget but the chances of this happening are remote, and very hard and unpopular decisions will have to be made. Threats are unpredictable but we cannot tailor and maintain our forces for every eventuality, however unlikely. Risks have to be taken and some cherished procurement programmes abandoned. It is no good funding expensive projects which might be needed in 25 years time if we cannot properly fund what we are doing today.
The new administration will be confronted by vested interests but if we try to do everything we will end up being good at nothing. Whatever is decided needs to be properly funded. Every prime minister early in his time in office says the defence and security of the British people are his highest priority. I hope our new one understands what this entails.
Charles Guthrie
Chief of the Defence Staff, 1997–2001
House of Lords, London SW1
Sir: It was only to be expected, I suppose. Not one of your ‘favourite writers and thinkers’ mentioned pensions or the care of the elderly. Since one of Gordon Brown’s first actions was to lay the seedbed for the destruction of pensions, one of the first things the new government must do is to at least try to repair the damage.
Joe Hayward
Stanmore, Middlesex
Sir: Mary Wakefield suggested that the next government should scrap many of the Criminal Records Bureau checks that are required at present. Another point is that where a person holds more than one position that requires a CRB check, it should not be necessary to be checked multiple times. Why not have only one certificate which is transferable between organisations? I have three certificates and know some volunteers who have a dozen.
Derek Oliver
Guildford, Surrey
Emerging artists
Sir: While we agree with Evgeny Lebedev’s assessment of Anish Kapoor’s embarrassingly banal project for the 2012 Olympic Park, his lament that ‘we have not since then [the Young British Artists] seen an emergence of the next group of young artists’ is misplaced (‘Art is an acronym for Arid Retail Trade’, 8 May). This new generation is already here and making important work. The post-YBA generation are socially engaged, unimpressed by market forces and are producing some groundbreaking work that is often more thoughtful and less theatrical than the work by its predecessors. Their unflashiness may explain why the press (and therefore the wider public) has not yet ‘discovered’ them.
Commodity-obsessed clients have been around for centuries, since the inception of the European art market in the 17th century, fuelled by the dispersal of the collection of Charles I. In that respect little has changed. The art world is a complicated place, and the real influence is wielded outside the arena of auction houses and glitzy collections.
For a visit to the past we suggest Marc Quinn’s new sculptures at White Cube. For a look to the future we recommend Mark Leckey’s exhibition at the influential Milton Keynes Gallery. We invite Mr Lebedev to come and visit the other side.
Simon Grant and Charles Asprey
editors, Picpus, London
How to treat sickness
Sir: Martin Vander Weyer writes that calling in sick is ‘a familiar tale in every workplace’ (‘The cure for calling in sick’, 1 May). Not so — many self-employed people running their own small shop, pub or farm never take time off sick. If you are responsible for a dairy farm and 150 cows are waiting to be milked, you just have to be there.
James M. Anderson
Dorchester
Sir: Reducing sickness absence is a high priority for NHS Direct. We are pursuing an active programme to solve this problem, with specific actions to reduce both short- and long-term sickness. These include significant changes to our rostering system, so that shifts are more compatible with staff lifestyles and caring responsibilities. We are pleased that the situation is improving, with sickness rates falling month on month since January this year. The plan is being monitored regularly by the board and progress is discussed openly in public meetings. This hardly amounts to ‘sweeping [the problem] under the carpet’ as you allege in your article.
Nick Chapman
Chief executive, NHS Direct
Catherine Meaden
Associate director of marketing and communications, NHS Direct, London SE1
A match made in heaven
Sir: Your correspondents are quite wrong in nominating The Lady Vanishes, Wondrous Oblivion and The Final Test as the greatest cricket films (Letters, 8 May). The Indian film Lagaan is far superior. The final match, between a team of British officers and Indian villagers, takes an hour of screen time and is superbly choreographed.
Bruce Beresford
Australia
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