Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Is it not time for serious condemnation of Boris Johnson’s behaviour?

Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

Saturday 12 October 2019 13:13 BST
Comments
Boris Johnson should be admonished for his behaviour
Boris Johnson should be admonished for his behaviour

Like many I am deeply disturbed by the damage Boris Johnson is doing to the reputation of our ministers and to our parliament and the Queen.

I’m aware that the news media must be guarded in its comments, but is it not now the time to condemn in no uncertain terms the damage Johnson is doing to the hardworking good people trying to ensure good living standards for their families?

I was brought up in a street housing hardworking miners spending their days down the pit and their precious days off playing cricket for the local team.

These were good living people who, like most with young families now, try to instil some discipline and responsibility in their everyday lives.

Yes, times have changed, but not where real care exists. Is it not time for serious condemnation of Johnson’s behaviour?

Millions of lives have been sacrificed to protect this country and its people and we have prospered.

I now listen to this would-be leader and weep for all those who worked so hard for Britain to prosper. Do we really want this ambitious would-be leader?

I think not.

Betty Davies
Nottingham

Perplexed and angry

Corbyn to step down as leader if Labour doesn’t win general election” (11 Oct): perhaps so, but why, John McDonnell, bring up that possibility at this time? And why in an interview with Alistair Campbell, someone who has been one of Jeremy Corbyn’s constant detractors (to put it mildly)?

This will, as John must know, provide more fuel for Tony Blair, and his former ministers lording it in “the other place”, to add fuel to the bonfire they have been painstakingly fashioning underneath the leftward progress of the Labour Party since 2015.

The strange decision by the shadow chancellor to back the return to the party of Blair’s spin doctor in light of the toxic episode of his vote for the Lib Dems in the European elections, straightforwardly in defiance of party rules, leaves me perplexed and angry.

Eddie Dougall
Bury St Edmunds

Extinction Rebellion deserve praise

Let’s hear it for James Brown and Phil Kingston, and all the other brave people around the world trying to get some real action out of our governments.

James Brown put it in a nutshell: “They declare a climate emergency and then do nothing about it.”

It’s somewhat ironic that Laurence Taylor commented that the protesters’ actions were “wholly unacceptable and irresponsible”. The real irresponsibility is the inaction of our government over the existential threat the world is facing.

Thank you, Extinction Rebellion!

Lynda Newbery
Bristol

Criminal damage to the economy

How does a sophisticated, advanced economy decide that it’s better to pay administration costs of £11bn a year to generate substantially less trade than paying the EU £9bn a year with a rebate of about £4bn?

“Spin” is the answer. It was Theresa May who declared that Brexit is about more than just money. Nonsense! It’s a financial decision that affects the wellbeing of all of us.

The only reason it’s not seen to be stupidity is because it will remove our workers’ rights and eventually lead to lowering business costs, making the wealthy more wealthy, while the poorest struggle more just to survive.

It’s about time we had a full costing for this ridiculous act of self-sabotage.

No amount of “spin” can hide the harsh realities that our collective wellbeing depends upon.

Brexit is severe criminal damage to our economy.

Michael Cunliffe
Ilkley

Turkey’s unjust war

Despite the fact that war is never a solution, different states are using this tool to ensure their power. Recently, Turkey has done so by invading Syria, leading to bloodshed.

These initial battles have claimed tens of deaths from both sides.

Unfortunately the UN, as usual, is playing no effective role in trying to craft a ceasefire. There have only been rare occasions on which the UN has responded and resolved such issues in its lifetime, therefore, the UN should cease its operations.

The civilised world should raise their voices and put pressure on the Turkish government to stop this brutal massacre in Syria.

Sami Sahil Baloch
Balochistan, Pakistan

A disastrous move

Boris Johnson has stated that he would never do anything which would damage the ability of the whole of the UK to take full advantage of Brexit.

Can any one of the ideologically driven proponents of such a disastrous move provide just one evidence based example of these advantages?

G Forward
Stirling

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in