Sir, Despite Sir Keir Starmer’s vow to rule alone he cannot be sure of doing so unless he has an overall majority (“Centralising Starmer determined to go it alone”, May 15). A hung parliament would rapidly ensure that he ate his words. It is not the case, as Patrick Maguire implies, that governments supported by a second party are destined to put the major party in humiliating thrall to the minor. The 1974-77 Lib-Lab experience was largely civilised and principled and, when it ended, Jim Callaghan refused to contemplate an arrangement with the Ulster Unionists that would have amounted to little more than extended blackmail. The 2010 coalition government pulled Britain out of a substantial financial crisis by sensible collaboration between the Liberal
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Desperate need for reform of prison system
May 15 2023, 12.01am BST
