Corbyn reversals

While it is true the election of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader is refreshing, Bill Prentice (Letters, 26 September) might be disappointed by the result.

During his campaign, Mr Corbyn made it clear that there would be no Trident and no Nato. Already it looks like he is being overruled by others in the party. His climbdown over the national anthem, despite it not being about Britain and not of any significance to a republican non-believer in religion, perhaps shows the way ahead.

The Westminster “bubble” is dominated by lobbyists on both sides, from multinational corporations to the trade unions, all pushing their own national interests, and as the recent fiasco involving two former foreign secretaries, Jack Straw and Malcolm Rifkind, showed, many MPs are happy to be paid “consultants”.

At the same time, MPs depend heavily on special advisers, often young and inexperienced, with a desire to be a future politician. Would an older more experienced adviser have caused the Roddin/Carmichael debacle?

The overwhelming vote for Mr Corbyn showed there is a grassroots desire for honest plain-speaking politicians, but too many others in power are more happy to represent the powerful rather than the 
people.

Bruce D Skivington

Glebe Park

Gairloch

Wester Ross