Readers are discussing Prince Harry’s phone hacking testimony against the Mirror Group.
Some suggest he follow Prince William’s example and move on, rather than seeking to shame the paper for closure.
One reader shares their experience of hiding their sexuality due to fear, while another discusses reconciling with a narcissistic mother and their sisters’ decision not to involve her in their children’s lives.
Topics also include Russia’s dam destruction in Ukraine, the urgent need to address climate change, dispelling misconceptions about Universal Basic Income, disputing bad health claims about vegan diets, and the casting of Welsh roles exclusively to Welsh actors.
What do you think?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
■ Whatever your views are on the Royal Family in general, or Prince Harry in particular, it is hard to disagree with his statement – in his High Court privacy case against Mirror Group – that our government is at rock bottom (Metro, wed). Full marks for accuracy, I suppose.
Robert Boston, Kingshill, Kent
■ It would be quite funny, seeing that Prince Harry hates so much about England – be it his family and their rules, the media and the government, to name a few – that he may be forced back to England because he admitted taking drugs in his memoir, which may jeopardise his US visa status (Metro.co.uk, Tues). Naughty! I don’t want him back!
Nikki, London
■ Like his brother, Prince Harry should come to terms with much of the media who, yes, did make much of his early life a misery. Seeking to shame them in court will not achieve whatever it is he seeks.
Given he lives in California, closure and a new start is what he should be seeking.
I do feel for him, however the papers didn’t want to ‘oust’ him as a royal – my view is they loved his mum and wanted to love him yet he didn’t act like a royal second son like George VI did.
Andrew Edwards, lslington
Russia’s dam destruction shows disrespect for Mother Nature
■ The Russians have shown their disrespect to human life, the environment and Mother Nature with the wanton destruction of the dam near Nova Kakhovka (Metro, Wed)
Only lunatics would blow up a dam that holds back the mighty waters of the river Dnipro. I have seen the river at its widest and you cannot see the other bank.
The Ukrainian people have suffered enough from the lunatic in Moscow.
Yaroslaw Tymchyshyn, Bolton
Talk is cheap, but climate damage is costly
■ Clark Cross (MetroTalk, Tuesday) says ‘eco-talk is cheap’. What he’s missing is that failure to act on the breakdown of our climate will be very costly in all respects, and sooner than we think.
On our current trajectory, two billion people will be trying to live in an average temperature of 29C by 2030; including half the population of India.
So, while it’s a bit late for me just to have one child (as Clark says all those who support eco-protests should), I have to admit that I’m extremely grateful not to have any grandchildren (much as though I’d love them) because the world we are heading for – unless we make drastic changes – will be a nightmare by the time they are adults.
We must do all we can, as individuals and as a society.
Paul Atkin, London
Many gay people had to keep their sexualities secret
■ Paul (MetroTalk, Wed), with respect, please don’t criticise Phillip Schofield for keeping his true sexuality secret, including from his own family.
It was a situation many of us gay people had to do. I didn’t come out to my family and when they found out by ransacking my stuff, I discovered my own mother was the most homophobic person I’d ever known and I’ve known so many of those.
I’m now 75, I wouldn’t want to be anything other than gay but I’ve rarely known happiness because of attitudes of those who should have loved me regardless.
John Lewis, Liverpool.
■ It is completely hypocritical of Michael Sheen to want Welsh characters to be played only by Welsh actors (Metro.co.uk, Wed) saying he finds it otherwise ‘hard to accept’. Sheen is an actor who has made his name predominantly playing non-Welsh fictional characters and non-Welsh real people.
Stefan Badham, Portsmouth
Can Universal Income can create a better world?
■ Those appalled by the idea of Universal Income because the £1,600 a month given to those taking part in a trial is more than they earn (MetroTalk, Wed), are missing the point or don’t know what UI is.
If we replaced all benefit payments with an amount that we all receive every month, and are taxed on, then the idea is that you can work as well and have excess money to pump into the economy or work less to elevate childcare needs or not work at all if you so wish/can’t work. This will cover businesses paying for those on maternity/paternity and sick leave too, hopefully making everyone happier and more financially stable, while making the government no more worse off than they currently are paying benefits.
John London
■ Surely the Universal Basic Income of £1,600 would eradicate poverty which could mean less crime and hence possibly create a better world. What’s not to like?
Marion, Glasgow
I hope my siblings never regret not allowing our mum to see their kids
■ Melanie Le Roux’s views about estranged grandparents (MetroTalk, Tue) bore a lot of similarities with our family.
Myself and my sisters grew up with a narcissistic, uncaring violent mother and we become estranged from her.
A few years later, with my own wife and son, we repaired things a bit and Mum was a better nanny to our son than she was a parent. My siblings remained estranged from her and she never saw their kids before she passed away. I hope my sisters never regret that decision.
Name Withheld Upon Request
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MORE : Why is Prince Harry in court today? Mirror Group trial explained
MORE : Michael Sheen finds it ‘very hard to accept’ non-Welsh actors playing Welsh characters
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