SIR – I was amused to learn that the green lobby feels Rowan Atkinson is partially to blame for the slowdown in consumers buying electric cars because he described them as lacking in soul (report, February 7). If consumers truly valued soul as well as function, then I doubt there would be many new cars on the road at all, as most look as if they plopped out of the same jelly mould. Consumers are not idiots. People choose not to buy electric cars because they are relatively expensive – to purchas
SIR – How is it possible that a family solely dependent on benefits can be better off than someone earning £70,000 a year – more than twice the average wage? This is an absurd situation, and it is driving those who pay the most tax to despair. The benefits system should be a safety net for those who fall on hard times or are unable to work through no fault of their own. It should help prevent poverty and destitution. It should not provide for a better lifestyle than that of someone who works and