Speak for coronavirus-afflicted Britain, Keir Starmer | Brief letters

Wartime parallels | The right woman for the job | Musical bird-scarers | World Naked Gardening Day | Downing Street showersAlastair Campbell is right (With so many coronavirus deaths, Labour should not be holding back, 22 April). When a Labour opposition was faced with the government's handling of that other great crisis, the second world war, Arthur Greenwood, the deputy Labour leader, directly challenged Neville Chamberlain in the Commons and was encouraged to "Speak for England, Arthur" - by Leo Amery, a Tory backbencher. Speak for the dying and living, Keir Starmer.John M PhillipsLiverpoolo Old CDs hung from branches make good bird-scarers to protect the fruit on our cherry tree (Letters, 21 April). Which music works best? After years of research, I've found that birds keep well away from others of their own kind. These have been particularly effective: Sheryl Crow, Hawkwind, A Flock of Seagulls, Nick Drake, the Eagles, Taylor Swift, John Martyn. When all else fails, the ultimate deterrent is anything by Cat Stevens.Lawrie RoseFaversham, Kent Continue reading...