Scandal at the Co-op
Sir: Martin Vander Weyer makes a good point. The Revd Paul Flowers may be a flawed individual, but he is not responsible for Co-op Bank’s woes (Any Other Business, 23 November). His appointment might be symptomatic of a complacency about ‘good’ and ‘bad’ banking that suited certain politicians, but surely now we need a full inquiry into the Lloyds takeover of HBOS and the Co-op takeover of Britannia. I would also like to see the terms compared to the Santander acquisition of Bradford & Bingley. The true scandal is the collusion of politicians, regulators and senior bankers. In the meantime, I hope Paul Flowers gets the help he needs.
Andrew Bristow
London SE11
Sir: One point to be said in favour of the ‘Crystal Methodist’ Paul Flowers: he has made cocaine and crystal meth look naff to anyone under (and probably over) 50. Expect usage to plummet.
Peter Allmark
Sheffield
We don’t do God
Sir: It is mistaken to assume that the great majority of Tory voters are Anglicans (‘Beyond belief’, 23 November).
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