Hilary Hammond (Letters, 9 April) is sadly mistaken if she believes libraries are protected by the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964. This is one of a large number of acts which our philistine government has proposed for block repeal.
Patrick Ford
Carshalton, Surrey
• Never mind the songs that make Nick Clegg weep (I'll cry if I want to, G2, 8 April); your article on John Smith (What if Smith had lived? G2, 7 April) brought tears to my eyes. Not only was Smith re-envisioned, so was Robin Cook – two of the most politically scrupulous MPs of the late 20th century. And with Brown shoehorned out of the Treasury, why assume that Chancellor Livingstone should have to plead for an economic bailout? Truly a sad loss.
Judith Martin
Winchester, Hampshire
• A true tear-jerker has to be sad and slightly ridiculous: it is the conflict between sobbing and sniggering that is overwhelming. I nominate Long Black Limousine by OC Smith, He Stopped Loving Her Today by George Jones, Endless Sleep by Jody Reynolds and Old Tige by Jim Reeves (beside which Elvis's Old Shep is quite matter-of-fact).
DBC Reed
Thorplands, Northampton
• Aditya Chakrabortty christened Osborne's Britain "Austeria" (Report, 9 April). Since CPI is predicated on the notion that we all buy cheap stuff as prices rise, shouldn't we change the name of the country to "Poundland"?
David Quinn
London
• There is only one possible candidate (Unthinkable? Banishing tyrants to exile, 9 April). With the collapse of its highly speculative "holiday complex building programme", a large number of facilities now stand idle. Any self-respecting dictator would surely be happy to move in. Also this would be a welcome boost to the island after other recent failures – notably, the quixotic 2022 World Cup bid. Yes, send them to San Serriffe.
Dave Hanson
Hull
• No need to locate an island – just send them to the Big Brother house.
Hephzibah Yohannan
Altrincham, Cheshire