Church must speak up on Begum return | Brief letters

Chris Williamson | Shamima Begum | Toilets | Roald Dahl

Can you imagine any Labour MP thinking it would be alright to say we’ve been too apologetic about racism or indeed sexism (Williamson suspended after U-turn by Labour, 28 February)?
Kate Myers
London

• Where is the church’s voice in supporting the return to the UK of Shamima Begum and her young son (Report, 28 February)? Are we not aware of the parable of the prodigal son, the younger son being welcomed back by his father after leaving home and squandering his inheritance (Luke 15:11-32)? Or are we more content to act as the belligerent elder son resentful of the welcome given to his returning brother?
David Jennings
Canon theologian, Leicester Cathedral

• I believe the most accurate term for the smallest room (Letters, 28 February) is the (possibly) Old English “shândry”, which roughly translates as “shithouse”.
Ellie Sedgwick
Halesworth, Suffolk

• In the US, looking for a house to rent, we were confused by the term “half-bath”; perhaps this was a small sit-bath suitable for children? With a young family this appealed to me, so I asked to see one and was shown a downstairs loo.
Nicolette Wise
Dalry, Dumfries & Galloway

• On the theme of Dahl’s new words (Report, 28 February), may I offer one of my own. Skuldoggery is what my beagle puppy gets up to when he thinks we are not watching.
Geoff Wheeler
Coventry

• Our six-year-old granddaughter recently said something or other would be “a disastrophe”. Just about sums up the entire Brexit affair.
Paulina Church
Manchester

• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com

• Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters

• Do you have a photo you’d like to share with Guardian readers? Click here to upload it and we’ll publish the best submissions in the letters spread of our print edition

Letters

The GuardianTramp

Related Content

Article image
Too late for Norris the Rubberman, alas | Brief letters
Brief letters: Lewes bonfire and dogs | Grimsby’s heritage | Nettle soup | Roald Dahl, Churchill and racism | BookTrust | Theresa May’s churchgoing

Letters

08, Nov, 2018 @5:47 PM

Article image
With Green and Amber gone, vote red | Brief letters
Brief letters: Consistory courts | Supine v prone | St Peter’s Close | Ailsa’s aliases | James Brokenshire | Government at a crossroads

Letters

01, May, 2018 @5:20 PM

Article image
Antisemitism on the left and Jeremy Corbyn | Letters
Letters: Israeli ambassador Mark Regev and other readers respond to recent articles on an issue that has dominated recent headlines

Letters

05, Apr, 2018 @4:57 PM

Article image
What role can religion play in modern Britain? | Letters
Letters: Guardian readers respond to our editorial on the decline of organised mainstream Christianity

Letters

17, Jul, 2019 @4:56 PM

Article image
Let’s have three strikes at the dispatch box too | Brief letters
Brief letters: Cutting politicians short | Meghan Markle’s tights | Crosses and crucifixes | WH Smith | Sports headlines

Letters

31, May, 2018 @4:40 PM

Article image
Mirror subeditors rise and fall to the blob challenge | Brief letters
Brief letters: Rail nationalisation | Voting by post | Intercourse | Daily Telegraph | Daily Mirror

Letters

17, Oct, 2019 @4:59 PM

Article image
Stop Jeremy Corbyn’s mistrial by media over antisemitism | Letters
Letters: More than forty senior academics write to condemn what they see as an anti-Corbyn bias in media coverage of the antisemitism debate

Letters

02, Apr, 2018 @5:05 PM

Article image
Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour is a crucial ally in the fight against antisemitism | Letter
Letter: Over 200 Jewish members and supporters of the Labour party sign a letter urging that anyone seeking an end to bigotry and racism should back Labour and Corbyn

Letters

20, Feb, 2019 @6:39 PM

Article image
Beware of moving the church flower-stand | Brief letters
Brief letters: Christine Keeler | Needless hedgerow trimming | Labour councils | Church behaviour | TV cookery excess

Letters

06, Dec, 2017 @6:53 PM

Article image
Putting the antisemitism debate in perspective | Letters
Letters: Roger Silverman says it is time to defend Corbyn’s consistent record of resistance to racism in all its forms, Bryn Jones says the Zionist label now resembles previous intemperate use of the term ‘communist’, Richard Cooper says the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism is highly Israel-centric, and Sophie Marks says the voices that shout loudest are not always representative

Letters

26, Apr, 2018 @4:31 PM