Letters to the Editor: Retiring ageing and dud politicians

One reader suggests political candidates could be tested for mental competence, while others consider issues including neutrality, the cost of EVs, and insurance for cyclists 

US president Joe Biden: There have been suggestions that both he and his expected election rival Donald Trump should face a mental competency test. Picture: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

With the age of both Joe Biden and Donald Trump, the likely candidates for the 2024 US presidential election, being a matter of concern, Nikki Haley, a former ambassador to the UN, is suggesting “mental competency tests” for politicians over 75, but why stop there?

There is a joke that an indicator for mental incompetency is that you would want to be a politician at all although most are actually sincere and hardworking but, in recent times, some have faltered. It is assumed our politicians are the best we have to lead us but if we tested them all for mental acuity, moral fibre and honesty, many could soon be unemployed.