Sir, – Last week we witnessed Keir Starmer stepping down in what must have been, for him personally, very difficult circumstances. His party had just suffered a bad defeat in local elections and he was now being replaced by a rival his own party turned to, precisely the kind of situation where bitterness and taunting would have been understandable, indeed expected.Auspiciously, however, we witnessed a chamber full of MPs clapping out a defeated leader and an opposition leader choosing tribute over triumphalism, giving evidence to a key aspect of democratic culture: “We vehemently disagree, but the process is much bigger than either of us.”At a time when democracies around the world face increasing polarisation, declining trust in institutions and a tendency to personalise political conflict, this “farewell” to Starmer is heartening – and a reassuring reminder that democratic politics is ultimately stronger than partisan rivalry, reaffirming a morality that opponents are not enemies. – Yours, etc,Michael Gannon,St Thomas Square,Kilkenny.