• EVEN when viewed solely through a frame of UK party politics, those questioning what political capital there is in Labour’s continued backing of military support for Ukraine, should consider the following:

• Any indications of growing ambivalence or wavering support from within the parliamentary party, if not wider membership, would be eagerly seized upon by the right-wing press and media, instantly gifting Liz Truss the self-righteous means of diverting public attention away from the massive wealth transfer, currently being attempted to protect fossil fuel profits, in response to the energy crisis.

• A perceived accommodation of Vladimir Putin, however nuanced or reluctantly given, would offer the Tories cover for their shamefully close proximity to rich Russian donors. The ability to expose this, from an uncompromised position, is not only a useful differentiation for Labour but essential if we are to resist further corruption of the greater body politic.

• Likewise, for calling-out the inadequacy of refugee support – the generosity of public response is not reflected in the government’s meanness of provision. They must effectively be held to account, enabling more to be done, both at a local level and within a properly funded and strategically coherent international framework.

Effective resistance is predicated upon many things, equivocation is not one of them. Nor is undermining hard-earned mainstream creditability.

We must not become useful idiots for the Tories – come the next election too much depends, for too many, upon securing a change of government.

JEF SMITH, NW5