Why Reeves should gamble on tax hikes | Brief letters

"Betfred has said it would close all 1,287 of its high street betting shops if Rachel Reeves raises taxes on the industry (Betfred says gambling tax rise in budget will force it to shut all its UK shops, 19 October). What further encouragement can she need? John Saxbee Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire As great as Prunella Scales's character was, I never really cared for Fawlty Towers (Obituary, 28 October)."

"But I did care that she was at the launch of the AntiNazi League back in the day, which helped to sweep the fascist National Front off our streets. Pete Hendy High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire If Trump changes the constitution to allow him to run for a third term, wouldn't that also open the door for Barack Obama to run again (The US politics sketch, 2 November)? Hilary Bird Kilndown, Kent"

Betfred says it would close all 1,287 of its high street betting shops if Rachel Reeves raises taxes on the gambling industry, prompting a letter urging such action. One correspondent praises Prunella Scales's AntiNazi League involvement for helping sweep the National Front from streets while expressing indifference to Fawlty Towers. Another asks whether a constitutional change to allow a third presidential term for Trump would also permit Barack Obama to run again. Several letters debate pets on sofas, with one asserting sofas are for cats. A request seeks a BBC announcement of a Riot Women charity single for Christmas.

Read at www.theguardian.com