Meaningful actions Andy Burnham can take to atone for the wrongs of slavery

SIR – If Andy Burnham had any sense, instead of continuing with a plan for Britain to put £40 m over the next three years towards critical infrastructure in the Caribbean, including renewable energy (report, November 3), he would take the advice of Philip Davis, the prime minister of the Bahamas, and offer Commonwealth citizens access to higher education, vocational training, business, and cultural exchanges with the UK. Such action would rectify the stigma of perceived white superiority, and would be a far more meaningful gesture than an apology or a payout (“ Burnham commits to talks over slave trade harms ”, telegraph.co.uk, November 5).

Dr Patrick Tan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia SIR – It is good to read more articles and letters about Britain’s efforts to abolish slavery (“ King’s reminder that Navy helped end slavery ”, report, November 4). What is less known is how this movement began. The Quakers had a long history of anti-slavery work and were particularly active in Somerset.Working closely with the Quakers, Thomas Clarkson toured the country in the late 18th century, seeking to encourage others to sign petitions against the slave trade.

Through Clarkson, William Wilberforce was recruited to the cause and by 1787 had agreed to bring his concerns about slavery before the House of Commons. On May 22 1787, the Committee for the Abolition of the Slave Trade was formally established. Nine of the original 12 members were Quakers and five went on to play a central role. This formidable campaign helped to force a reluctant parliament finally to abolish slavery. Sir John Lushington Barrington, Cambridgeshire SIR – Bishop Rosemarie Mallett has called reparations a “a catalyst to encourage other institutions to investigate their past and make a better future for impacted communities”.

The slave trade, like the Holocaust, was a blight on humanity, illustrative of man’s inhumanity to man. However, as Lord Biggar – who has been leading a campaign against the Church of England’s plan to divert £100 m of its assets toward making reparations for its involvement in transatlantic slavery – has argued, there were many agencies complicit in the evil trade: Arab slave traders trading across Africa to Zanzibar, and African chiefs who sold off prisoners captured in tribal warfare to the Arabs, who in turn sold them on to the Europeans.

Handing out vast sums to countries claiming reparations won’t solve anything, and neither does it ensure that funds are used correctly. It is time we stop flagellating ourselves for historical evils, of which there have been many. Instead, we ought now to cherish that which is good and binds us in our British history, communities and country, which over hundreds of years has welcomed and sustained people fleeing persecution, modern slavery, war and other hardships.

Deborah Young Winterbourne Bassett, Wiltshire Get in touch: send a letter to dtletters@telegraph.co.uk Paucity of poppies sir – For the first time in my life I have not been able to buy a poppy, and it makes me very sad. We have always had Chelsea Pensioners selling them outside Marks & Spencer, and brightening our day. The King’s Road has had many other sellers – I have been one myself. This year there were none visible and, with limited mobility, I am unable to go looking for one.

Not surprisingly, I saw far fewer people wearing them this year. In the past they were almost ubiquitous. This may seem a small thing, but it is symptomatic of a kind of uniting ceremony. We are all of us poorer in spirit without it. Field McIntyre London SW3 SIR – I remember Mum once telling me of an occasion when, as a child, shortly after the Second World War, she was a passenger on a London bus on Remembrance Sunday. At 11am the driver stopped the bus, got out and stood by his cab, head bowed.

A car behind tooted its horn, but the driver simply turned and pointed at his watch. How times have changed. Stephen Brown Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire Misconduct at the BBC SIR – In 2016 the Dame Janet Smith Review found that Jimmy Savile and Stuart Hall were allowed to operate with impunity, that multiple opportunities to stop misconduct had been missed, and there had been a failure to act on victims’ complaints. It seems that similar failings occurred in the case of Russell Brand ( report, November 6 ).

Since 2016, there have been further incidents of serious sexual misconduct involving BBC presenters. It would appear that the BBC is in the habit of allowing some of its “stars” to act as they please. Michael Derrig Twyford, Berkshire Successful sermons SIR – It is very easy to lambast preachers (“‘ The clergy are stupider than ever’: The lost art of the inspirational sermon ”, report, November 1), and no doubt some deserve the same advice given to those drilling for oil: “If you don’t hit your target soon, stop boring.”

But how do you measure a successful sermon that has a practical effect? One of the few I can quote with certainty concerns a member of my congregation, who had been a regular attendee for 30 years. One Sunday, I was shocked to see that his hair had gone from black to grey, apparently overnight. When I gently inquired as to the change he replied: “It was your sermon about being ourselves and not hiding behind pretences. I was so ashamed that I went grey in my early twenties that I’ve been dyeing my hair ever since.

But now I’ve decided to accept the way I am.” I see this as proof not just that he listened, but that sermons can have an impact preachers never envision. Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain Oxford Devolution truths SIR – The more I hear Andy Burnham trumpet his virtuous intention to devolve more power to local authorities, the more the cynic in me thinks that devolution is really only done for one reason (“ Starmer loyalist criticises Burnham’s devolution plans ”, report, October 21).

The Government has no idea how to run the country and wants somebody else to blame for its failings. Charles Lochrane Upper Lambourn, Berkshire SIR – Many people seem to agree that putting counties into Mayoral Combined County Authorities is a good idea and would result in greater democratic control. However, when the same principle is applied to the 43 police forces in England and Wales, we are told this will distance policing from communities (“ Police chiefs at war over Mahmood’s plans to merge forces ”, report, November 5).

Which is it? Des Morgan Swindon, Wiltshire Britain’s labour laws SIR – As an employer of more than 70 staff in the UK, and the same number again globally, I thought it might interest readers to know that my firm has stopped employing young people in the UK ( Business, November 4). This is not due to recent changes in employer National Insurance or rises in the minimum wage. It is entirely due to changes to employment law, which essentially will mean that no new employee can be removed except through an extraordinarily tortuous and expensive process.

The time allowed to establish whether a person is going to work out has been reduced from two years to a few months. We used to hire several graduates a year. This gave them and us a chance to establish whether they were interested in what we do, and if they were suited to our needs. We just can’t gamble on this anymore and will have to look elsewhere. It is all too sad. Simon Thomas London SW6 Migrant controls SIR – Édouard Philippe, the former French prime minister and current mayor of Le Havre, wants the UK to shoulder the entire cost of French efforts to stop Channel crossings ( report, November 5 ).

Britain already pays nearly two-thirds of the French police costs for tackling illegal migration in northern France, yet they appear to be making little effort to reduce – let alone stop – the number of small boats leaving France. In return for accepting all the costs, we could expect to be given full control of the policing of the beaches. This would, of course, include the interception and destruction of dinghies before they can be loaded, and the immediate return to France of any vessel that escapes before it leaves French waters.

It would not take long for the smugglers’ business model to be disrupted, until it is no longer viable. Not only would the number of illegal immigrants reaching Britain be drastically reduced, it would aid the French in making their coast an unattractive destination for them. Trevor Joyce Canterbury, Kent Winter fuel waste SIR – The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recently sent me a letter to say that it is going to pay my £200 winter fuel allowance in November or December (Letters, November 4) .

However, if my personal income is over £35,000, HMRC will claim it back again. I earn £35,100. What a waste of Government money. First there is the cost of printing the letters (four pages of A4), plus secretarial costs, postage costs and the administration fees to claim it back again. Then there was another letter to say that I am not entitled, so it will be reclaimed by adjusting my tax payments. Why can’t the DWP get a list of who is eligible from HMRC before the letters are sent?

This raises concerns about inter-departmental communication and efficiency. No wonder the Government is in debt. Anne Michell Langport, Somerset Prompt postage SIR – I recently came across several hundred letters that were written between my late parents in 1934. It was clear from the dates on them that those posted in the morning in Sussex were delivered to Kent on the same day, and those posted in the evening arrived before 8.30am the following morning ( Letters, November 4 ).

The equivalent cost of the one-and-a-half old-pence stamp today is less than 60p. That was service. Richard Rix Ashford, Kent SIR – As I am reluctant to trust Royal Mail, for many years I have taken documents to our companies’ accountant by bus. As I am a pensioner, this costs nothing, and it is also a day out for me. Joseph B Fox Redhill, Surrey The lasting impact of studying History of Art SIR – On the subject of the importance of teaching History of Art in schools ( Letters, November 1) , when I was at a secondary school in the 1960s, we had an Australian art teacher, who would regularly talk about the history of art and artists in our weekly sessions.

I am so grateful today that I had those lessons, but I didn’t realise at the time how much they would broaden my horizons. They encouraged me to travel and not only to explore some of the world’s great galleries, but also to visit such places as the Sistine Chapel to see Michaelangelo’s masterpiece. I can even answer questions on the subject on University Challenge . I don’t think many schools taught the subject back in the 1960s, and I remain eternally grateful.

Jennifer Spring Chesham, Buckinghamshire Letters to the Editor We accept letters by email and post. Please include name, address, work and home telephone numbers. ADDRESS: 111 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 0DT EMAIL: dtletters@telegraph.co.uk FOLLOW: Telegraph Letters @LettersDesk