Boris Johnson’s response to the closure of the French border demonstrates his ignorance of everyday life

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France has closed its borders to the UK following an outbreak of a new variant of Covid-19 (EPA)

Andrew Grice’s article on Boris Johnson’s role in rendering Britain the “sick man of Europe” (Voices, 21 December) was enlightening in its description of the dither and delay that has typified the prime minister’s actions.

Discussing lorries, Johnson tries to pass off French action as unnecessary because lorry drivers, he suggests, sit in solitary isolation. This shows a fundamental lack of grasp of everyday life. On every ferry I have travelled on, no one is allowed on the car or lorry decks when the ferry sails. Everyone goes off to lounges, even if some of those lounges are separated for the truck drivers. That is the start of mixing, no doubt repeated at fuel and food stops, comfort breaks and cargo collection.

So Johnson imposes not just indecision, as Andrew Grice says, but adds plain incompetence fatally to the mix.

Charlie McGrory

Larne, Northern Ireland

It seems unfathomable that the scientists would not have warned the government about the possibility of new variants of the virus.

With this in mind, I cannot agree when Andrew Grice suggests Johnson is not totally to blame. He is absolutely to blame. So many other countries are getting back to a form of normal. Only this government’s populist policy has created a perfect storm.

Hedley Baldwin  

Address supplied

No prizes for popularity

In response to Chris Stevenson’s Editor’s Letter ('Are new lockdown measures another example of the government acting too late?', 20 December). From day one of the pandemic, everything Boris Johnson and his government has done has been too little, too late.

His apparent desire to be Mr Popular has overridden what we really need, which is strong and decisive leadership. The way contracts have been awarded, no doubt helping to boost the finances of more than a few friends and colleagues, has been nothing short of scandalous.

Time to put the needs of the country before all the inflated egos. I’ve tried and failed to resist mentioning the Dominic Cummings debacle but that still rankles.

Mary Park

Lytham St Annes

Back to where we started

Having just heard Priti Patel say the way forward is “track, trace and test”, I am reminded of the advice from the World Health Organisation in the early days when this was still just an epidemic: “track, trace and test”.

A pity our government did not listen then.

Stephen Ryan

Draycott in the Clay, Staffordshire

What price freedom?

To the long list of government failures in the fight against Covid-19, may I add the lack of any suitable deterrent for those who insist upon risking the safety of the general public, and in particular police officers, by their insistence on marching to let us all know how put upon they are by being expected to help keep one another safe during a dangerous pandemic.

While most people reluctantly accept the reality that normal freedoms must be curtailed until the pandemic is defeated, those who wish to publicly protest help delay that day, and are thus self-defeating in their actions.

Since they are either incapable or unwilling to understand that principle, it is surely time for the government to bring in emergency legislation to ensure any further protestors are met by police to shepherd participants onto coaches. Perhaps they could then be taken to emergency isolation detention centres where they would be held for at least 10 days, plus however long it takes for them to pass a Covid test. Their release would only come following a clean test result, and they would cover payment for their keep, the cost of however many tests they took, plus a fine.

One might just find that, following the resultant initial large protest, there would be no further protests, and the general public, together with the put-upon and little appreciated police, would be protected from these pathetic egocentrics.

David Curran

Feltham, Middlesex

Foreign aid must be spent on vaccine

A lot is said about whether or not the UK's foreign aid should be tied by law to 0.7 per cent of GDP, but few people believe there should be no foreign aid. What is of concern, however, is whether or not it is given to the right people and causes.

I believe that from 1 January, there is one clear cause that needs financial support from across the world – and yet it hasn't been mentioned.

During 2021, vaccines for Covid-19 will be widely available, yet many of the poorer countries in the world will not be able to afford the vaccines and, perhaps more important, afford the cost of the logistics involved in making sure that everyone who needs the vaccine can receive it.

After Brexit, the UK is ideally placed to take a leading position to ensure that this is done. We should establish which of the richer countries would be prepared to give financial aid to this project. Then identify the poorer countries which will be unable to afford the vaccines and what the cost will be in each country to ensure that they reach those that need it. Even in poorer countries, it should not only be made available in cities or to "influential" and relatively wealthy people.

A mammoth task, but our country has led the world many times in the past, and now is our time to take a leading position once again. This project is so vital that all budget aid for 2021 should be spent on this one project. To do less would demonstrate our lack of humanity.

Ken Shuttleworth

St Albans

Jury rule

Alastair Campbell’s thoughts about the personalities of Boris Johnson and Donald Trump ('On Covid and Brexit, reality is catching up with Boris Johnson’s fantasies and self-obsession’, 20 December) kindled in me again the idea that the sorts of people who rise to the top are so often just the sort of people who should never have power, since their ambition is driven by their need for recognition and glory rather than frustration or anger at the injustices and imperfections in the world around them.

I sometimes wonder whether something like the jury system, selecting people at random to run something or other for five years or so whether they want to or not, would be worth trying. We would need to be very unlucky for them to be less competent than our last two or three prime ministers.

Dennis Leachman

Kingston upon Thames

Crash landing

Which sporting hero is the source of inspiration for our increasingly bewildered leader? Maybe he sees himself as Ian Botham smashing his way to victory against the odds or Bobby Moore inspiring his team to our nation's finest footballing hour or even the skilful Lewis Hamilton anticipating every high speed corner and always choosing the right line. All supremely talented in their chosen field.

Unfortunately a moment’s thought soon identifies the true inspiration for Boris: Eddie the Eagle. Time and again he shambles to the top of the ski jump, ignores calls to think again, sets off on a reckless descent from which he cannot deviate and lands in an undignified, spluttering heap.

John Dillon

Northfield, Birmingham