PM must stop Dominic Cummings turning Britain into ‘laughing stock’ – Yorkshire Post Letters

THERE was a splendid article by Tom Richmond (The Yorkshire Post, July 24) providing an end of term report on the “Class of Downing Street”.

In particular I liked the report for the “Headmaster”, i.e. the Prime Minister, which gave him six out of 10. This would be more than I would have given him, as I have linked this report to the splendid article by Lord William Wallace the following day.

In that article Lord Wallace raises a pertinent question – “Who will now stand up for Democracy?”

I feel that our Government is becoming a bit of a laughing stock – the country being led by a Prime Minister who seems to have lost the plot, and is governing in a despotic way, under the influence of a non-elected man – Dominic Cummings. I can’t give him any marks out of 10 as he is not even a member of the Class!

From: Craig Bryan, Yeadon.

I AM staggered at the sheer hypocrisy of your Saturday columnist William Wallace (The Yorkshire Post, July 25).

In his article, he urges local Conservatives to ‘stand up for local democracy against an increasingly authoritarian government’.

Lib Dems, like Wallace, don’t know what real democracy means! However, Brexit supporters recall a particularly offensive slogan and snub to democracy adorned on T-shirts proudly worn by Lib Dems
in the European Parliament last year.

Unlike Lord Wallace, we do know what real democracy means.

From: Roger Backhouse, Orchard Road, Upper Poppleton.

PATRICK Mercer says there is little evidence of Russian interference in British politics. More likely no-one in politics or the intelligence services sought information. Ministers failed badly (The Yorkshire Post, July 25).

Since 2010 when Conservatives returned to power, less than three per cent of Intelligence work focuses on hostile state activity. Intelligence services have concentrated on Islamic terrorism and Northern Ireland and Ministers have badly underestimated Russian subversion attempts.

Britain was happy for Russian oligarchs, some with Kremlin links, to come to Britain to buy up property, launder money and send their children to expensive schools.

Proposals for new laws to counter interference are welcome, but they come too late.

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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James Mitchinson