Letters: How does the BBC decide when a terror attack has taken place?

SIR – It was reported on Monday night that two football supporters had been murdered in Brussels. The BBC News headline online read: “Brussels shooting: suspect at large after two Swedes killed in terror attack”. 

Given the BBC’s refusal to call the massacre of some 1,400 Israeli citizens and other nationals last weekend a “terror attack”, or those who perpetrated it “terrorists”, are we to conclude that BBC editorial policy has ordained a specific number of victims below which a terrorist may be called a “terrorist” but above which the terrorist must only be called a “fighter” or “militant”?

Charles Samek KC
London EC4

SIR – Like Danny Cohen (“The silent response to the threats made in Britain to Jews is deafening”, Commentary, October 16), I feel ashamed to see Hamas being glorified by so many on the streets of our cities. 

We need to speak up loudly in support of this country’s Jewish community, who wish to live peacefully.

Margaret Sinden
Ulverston, Cumbria

SIR – Hatred towards races and religions brought the world to its knees in the last century. 

Who in their right minds could teach such hatred to their children again?

Elizabeth Griffin
Shrewsbury

SIR – Rishi Sunak called Hamas’s attack in Israel a “pogrom”. Are those who agree with his description too scared to stand up and be counted? I admit I would be terrified to face the likes of the mob in London the other day, but we cannot all sit on our hands.

Carol White
Northwold, Norfolk

SIR – My father fought in two world wars with distinction. One thing I remember him saying is that you have to win the war to negotiate the peace. Never truer than today.

Paddy Shillington
Louth, Lincolnshire

SIR – Rishi Sunak has announced that Britain will increase aid to Palestinians by £10 million. He stressed that steps would be taken to ensure that Hamas does not directly benefit from any of the money. But how, exactly?

Paul G Walters
Derby

SIR – In the early 1980s, I had the pleasure of sharing a Magic Bus journey from Greece to Belgium with three Israeli students. 

We were all in our late teens or early 20s, us Britons fancy-free. Outwardly the Israelis seemed the same, but when one of them described their life in Israel as “peace without hope, war without end”, I realised that we had a lot of growing up to do.

Graeme Brierley
Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire

Prison crowding crisis

SIR – It has been reported that many crimes are no longer even investigated by the police – yet now we hear that short prison sentences are to be axed because of overcrowding (Leading Article, October 17).

The old slogan, “Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime”, no longer applies. Today the simple fact is that crime pays.

Ian Forster
Wakefield, West Yorkshire

SIR – The article by Alex Chalk, the Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor (“Sentencing reforms will break the costly cycle of crime”, Comment, October 15), demonstrates how out of touch he is.

First, while prisons are indeed being constructed, they are also closing. 

Secondly, given that a significant proportion of the prison population spends between 22 and 23 hours a day in isolation, there is little scope for rehabilitative activity.

Thirdly, prisons are undermanned, which gives rise to the situation above. 

Other problems include the state of prisons, the infrastructure and the mindset in the justice system. 

The Ministry of Justice is dysfunctional, and not helped by the fact that there has been a revolving door there in recent years. 

James Bishop
Wincanton, Somerset

Opera funding

SIR – I am so pleased that the music director of the English National Opera has resigned in protest at the cuts forced on it by the philistines at Arts Council England (report, October 16). What would be even better is if the ENO could get back to the model of the 1980s, where corporations made a significant financial contribution. 

In those days my wife and I were regulars, and we enjoyed wonderful performances by a repertory company – enhanced by singers such as Janet Baker – that staged a variety of operas. The house always seemed full. 

It may be that “updating” operas and giving avant-garde directors opportunities have damaged this carefully built-up support. Let us go back to traditional productions that people wish to hear, and if Arts Council England will not help, see if the tourist promoters might.

C M Watkins
Brentwood, Essex

Electric talent

SIR – The discussion on great guitar riffs and solos (Letters, October 17) cannot continue without mention of Mark Knopfler, most of whose music includes wonderful examples of electric guitar virtuosity. A good place to start is the solo in Tunnel of Love.

Mark Lanyon
Chedworth, Gloucestershire

SIR – I agree wholeheartedly with Jonathan Mann (Letters, October 16). The combination of Karen Carpenter’s mellifluous tones and Tony Peluso’s guitar solo on the Carpenters’ Goodbye to Love is an unadulterated joy.

Judith Rose
Marlow, Buckinghamshire

SIR – If you really want to see and hear a miraculous live guitar solo, then treat yourself to Popa Chubby’s cover of Red House at Mexicali Live in New Jersey.

Edwin Prescott
East Preston, West Sussex

SIR – How about Django Reinhardt’s I’ll See You in My Dreams? Achieved without any electronic jiggery-pokery – and despite two injured fingers.

Terry Evans
Newcastle upon Tyne

Labour’s school plans

SIR – It appears that Labour has not undertaken any meaningful risk assessment on its plans to charge VAT on private schooling – or if it has, such information has been withheld (report, October 15).

The public needs to know what Labour thinks will be the effect of the subsequent loss of bursaries and support for lower-income groups; how many private schools will close; how many pupils will transfer to the already overloaded state system; how many teachers will lose their jobs and what the overall effect will be on educational achievement.

Without serious answers to these and other detailed questions, the Labour plans have every prospect of considerably lowering educational standards and opportunity at vast cost and to no benefit.

Bob Hart
Newark, Northamptonshire

Lockdown hangovers

SIR – It is disappointing that some lockdown measures persist, all to the benefit of suppliers and the detriment of users. This is most notable in public-sector bodies where staff are still at home and the public cannot get any sense from them. But private companies are guilty too.

Recently in Eastbourne I went into a café, ordered my drink at the counter and offered the correct money in coins. But the assistant said: “Card only.”

I politely declined my drink. Turning to go, I spotted a large bowl labelled “Tips”, with a pile of coins in it. Smiling at the assistant I pointed to it, but I do not think he saw the irony.

Tony Manning 
Barton-on-Sea, Hampshire

Not zero

SIR – I am tired of the use of “zero” in non-quantitative contexts, such as: “I have zero interest in this subject”. One wouldn’t say “I have seven interest” (Letters, October 17).

Keith Macpherson
Clevedon, Somerset

SIR – I am constantly irritated by “plan ahead”. I am unaware in what other direction it is possible to plan.

David Greenway
Andover, Hampshire

SIR – The use of the verb “to get” at a pub, café or restaurant is becoming the norm, as in “Can I get a coffee?” 
The verb is “to have” – unless, of course, you’d like to get it yourself.

Charlotte MacKay
Shaftesbury, Dorset

Lawrence of Arabia’s work at RAF Bridlington

SIR – Ranulph Fiennes muses on T E Lawrence’s state of mind in his final years (Arts, October 15). As I write, I have before me a framed Augustus John drawing of Lawrence, which he sent to my late father-in-law, Air Cdre John Manning. Underneath, in Lawrence’s own handwriting, are the words: “For his late Commanding Officer – only wishing that he was it still – from Shaw. Bridlington, March 1935.” 

John Manning always maintained that Shaw (Lawrence’s second RAF pseudonym) was referring to his admiration for the Service rather than to his last CO. But Shaw insisted on leaving at the end of his formal engagement, even though his direct line to people in high places would surely have secured an extension if he’d wanted it. He loved his work at RAF Bridlington, helping to develop the high-speed air/sea rescue boats of the future, and was evidently very happy in RAF uniform. 

Manning’s reflections on Shaw’s time under his command are in the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives of King’s College London.

Air Cdre Michael Allisstone
Chichester, West Sussex

Forget the flour: here’s how to roast potatoes

SIR – I have the easiest method of roasting potatoes (Letters, October 17) that results in beautifully crisp outsides with gorgeously fluffy centres and that doesn’t involve complicated methods such as dusting with flour or buying expensive goose fat. 

Parboil your potatoes for five minutes. Drain and shake the pan. Lay the potatoes in a single layer on a baking tray and freeze. When they’re frozen, bang the tray to separate them and roast them as normal in hot oil or fat for roughly 45 minutes. Voilà.

Christine Tomblin
Nottingham

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