How Boris Johnson has lost our support and lacks Angela Merkel’s statesmanship – Yorkshire Post Letters

IT seems one disaster after another coming out of 10 Downing Street these days. Boris Johnson’s premiership has been in the worst period since the Second World War – but will he be able to survive this full-frontal assault of the leaked filming of his now former press officer Allegra Stratton’s rehearsal?

This, and one more controversy, could possibly finish the Prime Minister and this Government in the wake of the Dominic Cummings and Owen Paterson fiascos.

I worked several decades as a cameraman in the media – newspapers and television – and also directly for Number 10 with a prime minister as well as television and radio media training.

Ex-colleagues also worked inside Downing Street. This calamity would never have occurred on their watch.

I feel sorry for Stratton as she has had to pay the price for this whole sorry debacle (so far).

But at least she fell honourably on her sword, compared to other senior ministers. Given her senior role, I find it unthinkable that she was not aware of the dangers of the situation – a golden rule that you cannot trust a camera or microphone in the vicinity.

It’s sad that someone, perhaps a colleague, has released the confidential rehearsal training recording and stitched Stratton up, which may be professionally career ending.

Ms Stratton should have been in control of the camera and recording and not allowed, under any circumstances, those in the room to be filming it.

There appears to be a lack of serious leadership and gravity operating inside Downing Street and unless Boris Johnson gets to grips with his laissez-faire style he will not be leading the Conservative Party into the next election.

From: Canon Michael Storey, Healey Wood Road, Brighouse.

A GERMAN friend of mine and I had a telephone chat last Monday evening. Such chats occur very rarely – perhaps once a year. In this latest chat, I said I was sorry Angela Merkel had come to the end of her term of office as Chancellor.

We both agreed she had been the outstanding leader in Europe for the past 16 years. I asked my friend what she thought of our Prime Minister.

She laughed for quite a time. “How could the UK elect such a buffoon?” she said.

I often ask myself the same question. Angela beats Boris on all counts – integrity, honesty and statesmanship.

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