Chris Grayling would have kept ‘Russia Report’ secret – Yorkshire Post Letters

YOUR excellent Editorial about the attempt to foist Chris Grayling on the Intelligence and Security Committee summed up well why he should not have been chosen (The Yorkshire Post, July 17).

Pushing an ineffective figure as chair looks like a classic Dominic Cummings tactic.

The Doctor Strangelove of British politics wants all Ministers and other leading Parliamentary figures beholden to him.

I am no fan of Dr Julian Lewis MP, but he knows defence 
and security well and is 
clearly capable of independent thought.

With evidence of Russian attempts to influence voting in the Brexit referendum and general elections, the last thing we want is a cover-up.

At least the committee has published the Russia report.

From: ME Wright, Harrogate.

I WAS uneasy with Tom Richmond’s observation that a knighthood for Chris Grayling (The Yorkshire Post, July 18) could be on the cards.

It appeared beneath Graeme Bandeira’s lovely cartoon of Sir Captain Tom – a doubtless unintentional slight perhaps?

If Boris Johnson’s York relocation wheeze comes to pass, might not Grayling’s fatuous ennoblement be better? We could then do the decent thing, sparing the rest of the UK by keeping a malevolent eye on him and any expenses.

We cannot trust China

From: Bob Swallow, Townhead Avenue, Settle.

I REFER to Bill Carmichael’s column on China (The Yorkshire Post, July 17). In my view he writes some good features. This was not one.

I have no problem with the vast majority of Chinese any more than I do with Germans, French or others. However watch what passes for their parliament in China when it comes to a vote. Ever seen any one digress from the party line?

In my view we would be absolutely mad to trust them and, in doing so, put our national security at stake. I will extend that to Russia.

From: David Craggs, Shafton Gate, Goldthorpe.

I’M given to understand that we import twice the value of goods from China than we export to them.

Perhaps we could start redressing the balance by cutting down on the rubbish that we know will shortly be heading our way for Christmas...those sort of items that seem to have obsolescence built-in to them, such as solar powered fairy lights and non-flame candles.

And is it too much to ask that all the Christmas cards we will be sending are manufactured in this country and not a substantial number in the Far East?

Editor’s note: first and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

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Sincerely. Thank you.

James Mitchinson

Editor