Boris Johnson’s penchant for capitalising on fear and chaos speaks volumes about his leadership qualities

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If Mr Johnson wants to show the electorate that he is a wise and suitable candidate to be a future prime minister, there surely must be better subjects for him to prove his worth (Reuters)

Nadia Rehman (Letters, Tuesday 8 August) makes a very good point about Denmark having more pressing matters of concern than what women should or should not be allowed to wear.

However, this observation also perfectly fits Boris Johnson.

If Mr Johnson wants to show the electorate that he is a wise and suitable candidate to be a future prime minister, there surely must be better subjects for him to prove his worth. Assuming it is the Conservative Party leadership he is targeting, and not a new extreme right wing breakaway party, he could target law and order, by campaigning for a substantial increase to the policing budget. Or he could attempt to prove he is a “one nation” Conservative by campaigning to improve the lot of those who have suffered the most from over eight years of ruinous Tory austerity.

However, since Boris specifically chose to write a newspaper article on the public appearance of an easily targeted minority group, we are left to make our own presumptions as to his motives.

My presumption is that since it is unlikely he can gain control of the Tory party before Brexit, he will look towards leading a new right-wing party post-Brexit to capitalise from the chaos and public dissatisfaction that I believe will result.

History should tell us that during very difficult times, the poor and marginalised in any society will follow the promises of any extreme leader, regardless of whether they are from the extreme right, the extreme left or just the extreme lunatic fringe. There are still those today who lionised General Franco, Jo Stalin and even Hitler. All good company for the self-centred Boris Johnson.

David Curran
Feltham, Middlesex

Why the debate over Boris Johnson’s motives in discussing the burqa? I am sure he meant no insult. Like the silly smart alec at the back of the class, he was only trying to be clever! Best to ignore him. He may go away.

Tim Rubidge
Downton, Wiltshire

When is a racist not a racist? When they are Boris Johnson.

The mainstream media have gone into overdrive to downplay Johnson’s racist comments, where he recently dehumanised and demonised Muslim women based on their religious affiliation. Instead of forensically analysing the claims of Islamophobia within the Tory Party, as they have with Corbyn and the endless antisemitism saga, Johnson’s remarks are being downplayed as a row about burqas.

The mainstream media are normalising the racist attitudes of the far right, including the BBC: they made a crass joke about his comments, and the political correspondent on their flagship news programme Newsnight concluded that Johnson didn’t use racist language to describe Muslim women, he was instead being “colourful”.

If Johnson’s anti-Muslim comments have achieved anything, they’ve highlighted how the media could care less about racism in all its many forms, unless it furthers their own political agenda. Corbyn is an antisemite for not wanting to curtail free speech regarding legitimate complaints regarding Israel and its treatment of the Palestinians, whereas Johnson’s racism is him being being “colourful”.

The media really do hold us all in contempt. They continue to paint Corbyn as a racist by analysing events he attended 10 years ago, to distract us from the revelations of top Tories (including Johnson) meeting with Steve Bannon, an openly racist, white supremacist leader who is accused of outright antisemitism, and whose supporters were recorded chanting “Jews will not replace us”. And, of course, to distract us from comments Johnson made yesterday. Little wonder many are abandoning traditional news channels and the printed press in favour of social media where the fake news is more honest.

Julie Partridge
London, SE15

To go or not to go

Democracy is our belief, but pursuing it in ignorance, as in the referendum, is simply folly. How did the electorate decide? The topic in the news at that time was immigration – but what is actually wrong with immigration? Anyone who has been in hospital in the past decade will have noted and benefited from the skill and care by medical staff from other countries; they are ensuring the continuing functionality of our NHS.

As for democracy itself, the statistics of the referendum are interesting. Of the possible 46,500,001 votes, 16,141,241 voted to remain and 17,410,742 voted to leave, a total of 33,551,983 votes, or 72.2 per cent; 25,359 votes were rejected as invalid. More significant are the 12,948,018 (27.8 per cent) abstentions, or “unknown” votes. Adopting the division of 51.9/48.1 may be democracy numerically; but realistically, it indicates great uncertainty and the need for further thought, considering the implications that have come to light.

If you are doing a sum and take a wrong step, then blundering on will not lead to the true answer. You should go back to the point of error and follow the other path – going back is the quickest way on. Surely, in the light of what is now known, the country should be offered a second referendum.

Mark Ladd
Address Supplied

Time to negotiate the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

If Donald Trump claims to be seeking world peace, he seems to be going about it in a funny way. His disgraceful about turn on Iran, whether brought about by his hatred of anything achieved by his infinitely superior predecessor or by domestic or foreign lobbyists, can only inflame a threat that the rest of the world seem to have been successful in quelling. As other countries have expressed a wish to defy his dangerous actions and continue to support the nuclear deal, now might be a good time for the UK to finally settle their outstanding debt with Iran and in the process negotiate the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. They could probably do with the money now and coming to an agreement over the outstanding interest should not be an insoluble problem for our politicians, who claim to be tough and skilled negotiators when it comes to exiting the EU.

G Forward
Stirling

We need HS2

The motorways are now grossly overcrowded and not particularly good for the environment, let alone noise pollution around their path across the country.

India is getting Japan to build it a high speed train which will be up and running probably long before HS2 is finished.

We need a decent railway between London and Scotland. Much of HS2 follows the old Beeching line we were unwise enough to close. And yes, it does need spurs off it, prioritising the north of England, to make use of it.

The UK, like Italy and Japan, is a natural for railway travel: overpopulated, small, hilly. HS2 will be a double-decker, with special bridges, tunnels and cuttings.

The new Chiltern line from Oxford to Marylebone is sheer bliss and in less than two years, frequently standing room only, it is so popular.

We need more trains, more infrastructure. HS2 is an important backbone.

Rosanne Bostock
Oxford

Nothing has changed in Zimbabwe

Everyone, apart from “Gucci Grace”, was rightly pleased when Robert Mugabe was ushered – forcibly – into retirement. Most people, however, were not naive enough to think that the plight of the nation would turn around forthwith; we now see that scepticism was accurate. It is a much used cliché, but I shall repeat it, “one person, one vote, once!”

Yes, it does appear we are again experiencing the resumption of violence, intimidation, arbitrary arrests and I fear worse to follow.

When will the good people of Zimbabwe ever see even the vestiges of a fair democratically run country for the advancement and prosperity of all citizens?

Robert Boston
Kingshill, Kent