Contrary to your letter writer’s claim (10 August), Rafael Behr chose the right term (Britain is trapped in political purgatory – waiting for its undead government to fall, 9 August). Hell is permanent, but purgatory is temporary – you get out eventually. And while paradise isn’t on offer to voters, we could have government for the many, not the few.
Jenny Tillyard
Seaford, East Sussex
• I wonder if young women who are feeling increasing pressure from harassment not to take their bikini tops off on the beach in France (Marie Le Conte, 10 August) feel more sympathy than the French state has shown for Muslim women who have been penalised for covering up to swim?
Nandita Dowson
London
• News about machine-generated prose (Amazon removes books ‘generated by AI’ for sale under author’s name, 9 August) was anticipated in 1954 by Roald Dahl in his droll short story The Great Grammatizator, which depicted the invention of such a machine.
Richard Chatten
Crystal Palace, London
• Horrified by product placement in the Barbie film (Amelia Tait, 10 August)? Growing up in the 80s, we spent our Saturday mornings watching cartoons that were basically toy ads, eg Transformers and He-Man.
Sarah Lewins
Birmingham
• Re your report (Hacked UK voter data could be used to target disinformation, warn experts, 9 August). Voters are already given false information – in party manifestos.
Michael Fuller
Harpenden, Hertfordshire
• Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
• An article reference was amended on 14 August 2023. Marie le Conte has now been changed to Marie Le Conte.
