Readers' letters - June 2

Rev Curry added a spoonful of spice to Royal Wedding
The Most Rev Bishop Michael Curry gives an address during the 
wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in St Georges ChapelThe Most Rev Bishop Michael Curry gives an address during the 
wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in St Georges Chapel
The Most Rev Bishop Michael Curry gives an address during the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in St Georges Chapel

An unprecedented American explosion took place at a sedate little chapel in Windsor. Yes, I’m referring to The Reverend Michael Curry and his unforgettable speech at Harry and Meghan’s wedding! Quoting Martin Luther King, championing the ‘power of love’ and gesticulating wildly, he got so impassioned that I thought he’d send one of those candles in front of him flying, giving the Windsor fire service more work to do! I must say, I was starting to watch the seasons change as his speech went on... and on. The congregation showed varying degrees of amusement and bemusement, the Queen being in the latter camp. Anyway, before a stony-faced official had the chance to materialise, bearing a stopwatch, he finally wrapped up, declaring “I’ve got to get you married yet!”, which kind of endeared him (at least to me) and his words clearly came from the heart. The Rev Curry really did spice up the proceedings. All power to the pastor!This was followed by a rendition of Stand By Me by the Kingdom Choir, which had more cheese than a dairy farm but was undeniably uplifting. Mum and I had a sing-a-long and even a cat on our lawn seemed to be doing some kind of dance!I’m no ardent Royalist, but I must say, I did enjoy it all! The passionate pastor and happy-clappy gospel choir broke new ground in Royal ceremonies, making it a celebration of diversity and modernity. So, welcome to the fold, Meghan! CM Langanvia email

Our economy’s based on debtDave Roberts (WP Letters, May 31) argues for the continuance of our foreign aid budget being set at 0.7 per cent of GDP (£13bn), which is a voluntary standard suggested by the UN. He does not tell us that Britain is the only country in the G7 to meet this target. Also, importantly, he does not recognise that Britain is a large economy but it is hugely indebted and, in order to meet 0.7 per cent of GDP, has to borrow money, with interest, in order to give the money away. The Conservative Government, no doubt wishing to display its caring credentials at taxpayers’ expense, was acting irresponsibly in setting the budget at 0.7 per cent of GDP in law, rather than assessing what it could reasonably afford, like most other sensible countries do.No business would ever dream of such a reckless policy as this. They pledge charitable donations based on what they can afford from their operational profit, not turnover. There exists a massive overseas charity industry in this country and I trust individuals to better select deserving overseas causes rather than a government department led by career politicians – and operated by time-serving bureaucrats.AJA SmithAddress suppliedOur roads are not a litter bin

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New research published by Keep Britain Tidy shows that a third of people (33 per cent) do not know that the registered keeper of a vehicle can now be fined if someone in their car or van throws rubbish out of it.The research, carried out by YouGov, comes as we launch a new poster campaign to tackle the blight of roadside litter.‘Don’t be a Tosser’ has been designed to send a hard-hitting message to drivers and their passengers that our roads are not one giant litter bin and that the owner of a vehicle can be fined up to £150 if rubbish is seen being thrown out of a car window.New rules came into force in April this year to allow local authorities to fine the registered keeper of a vehicle if litter is seen being thrown from the vehicle. This means they no longer have to prove who threw the rubbish.Allison Ogden-Newton Keep Britain TidyRather watch grass growLove Island is back on the box. There’s big hype surrounding it. I’d rather watch the grass grow in the garden, to be honest, but obviously it has its audience.Danny Dyer has apparently given his daughter, also called Dani, who’s going on the show, his blessing for her to have sex on TV.Is it really the job he wants for his first-born, parading on TV with very little on and jumping into bed?I find it hard to believe that any parent would want this for their child.Then again, people want to be famous for anything these days. Going on shows like these guarantees you get your 15 minutes of fame.Jayne GraysonAddress supplied