Boris Johnson’s craving for adulation belies a deep-seated insecurity

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The prime minister is fond of using references to classical Greece and has named Pericles the Athenian statesman and general, and Churchill the Second World War leader as his inspirations. Both men were popular heroic types who did much to unite and help their countries at times of strife. As with most politicians, however, they both ended their careers in failure.

Johnson’s rhetorical flourishes and obscure historical references seem to be driven partly by his own craving for admiration but at the same time disguising a deep-seated insecurity. A better comparison would be with the mythical figure of Narcissus who showed disdain and contempt for those who fell in love with him. Nemesis the goddess of revenge and retribution punished him by luring him to a pool where Narcissus fell in love with his own image, not realising it was a reflection. When he finally realised he committed suicide in despair. There are many who see Johnson’s Brexit “do or die”​ strategy as flirting with political suicide.

Steven Walker
Walton-on-the-Naze

Trump the conquistador

So Donald Trump wants to purchase Greenland from Denmark. Guess who’s next on his shopping list.

On second thoughts, why should he bother? He’s soon going to have us for free.

Brian Willan
Uffculme

Apparently, Donald Trump has been considering buying Greenland for the US. It’s an excellent idea as it’s a huge island with a vast amount of land that can be exploited once he gets rid of all that ice.

Ian Robertson
Milton Keynes

The problem with planting trees

The water companies’ desire to become carbon neutral by 2030 is laudable, but they should be very cautious about doing this by planting trees.

Inappropriate planting in open landscapes robs the habitat much of our most threatened wildlife. Species like skylark, corn bunting, grey partridge, lapwing and curlew all depend on open treeless landscapes for their survival, so we should be very cautious about the proposed biodiversity benefits of woodland planting and keep the trees in the woods.

Mike Swan
Head of education, the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust

Be a hero, Jeremy

If I were Jeremy Corbyn and I were sincere in my desire to prevent an EU crash out I would invite Ken Clarke and Harriet Harman to toss a coin to decide who would lead temporarily and who would be deputy. I would then lead my party into a general election as the man who pulled the nation back from the brink.

Steven Fogel
London NW11

The Lib Dems fall short

Anybody else feel the Liberal Democrats have woefully misnamed themselves?

Liberal? From the day after the Brexit, they have campaigned to overturn the referendum that they themselves campaigned for. Unwilling or unable to accept the fact that over 17 million citizens had a right to disagree with them over the benefits of the EU. Why did they campaign for the referendum in the first place, if they were not prepared to accept the democratic outcome?

Democratic? What a joke. Jo Swinson who heads up a party with just 14 MPs in it, is trying to dictate to parliament and by extension the country, in the event of a “government of national unity”, who the prime minister should be. One thing she is adamant on, it will not be the twice-elected leader of the opposition, Jeremy Corbyn. Just what is it with the Lib Dems and them choosing who the leader of another party is?

Swinson has graciously decided that the prime minister in the GNU will be either backbenchers Ken Clarke or Harriet Harman. Democracy? What a complete joke. This will be a government of the centrists, for the centrists and sod the rest of us. If nothing else, at last we see the true colours of the so-called moderates, and it is far from a pretty picture. The only interests the centrists serve, whether they be in the Lib Dems, Change UK or the Labour Party, is their own.

They put their neoliberal ideology above everything, even stopping a no-deal Brexit, and they should be repaid in kind when it comes to the next general election.

Julie Partridge
London SE15