Boris’s lies have ignited a civil war within the Tory Party

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The final days of Boris Johnson’s leadership have brought a distrust and sleaze that has trashed the Tory brand (AP)

So, yet again, we see more evidence of Boris Johnson trying to get around the system by requesting help from Rishi Sunak over the former prime minister’s resignation honours list.

While I commend Rishi Sunak for snubbing Johnson’s latest attempted fast one, this will do absolutely nothing to clear up the distrust and sleaze that has trashed the Tory brand and that dominated the final days of Johnson’s leadership.

If the Tories want a reasonable chance to stay in government after the next election, then the bitter civil war ignited by Johnson’s allies must stop and Conservative MPs must unite behind Sunak.

Though that is still a long shot.

Geoffrey Brooking

Havant

Why I gave up my Newcastle United season ticket

For some years now, I’ve had the impression that the UK’s relationship with Saudi Arabia represented the absolute worst of this country for a number of reasons.

The hypocrisy of pursuing policies and legislation in pursuit of a so-called “war on terror”, while laying out the red carpet for the state that inspired many of the extremists we claim to oppose. The obvious contradiction between claiming to uphold human rights and democracy around the world, while maintaining an alliance with a barbaric, authoritarian, absolute monarchy. The absolute jaw-dropping corruption and spineless deference involved in all of our political leader’s dealings with the Saudi government, and the shamelessness of the media and politicians who defend Saudi Arabia and work to soften its image.

Fortunately, none of that ever had anything to do with supporting Newcastle United.

Like many fans, I have also been opposed to the growing commercialisation and financialisation of football. Every decision made by the game’s governing bodies seems to be made with the intention of funnelling money to an elite few who have attached themselves to the sport’s top clubs, with fans the very last consideration.

I have been attending Newcastle matches with my dad for 32 years since I was six years old, and we’ve held season tickets in the same seats for the entire time, renewing them every year. It was going to take an awful lot to make me decide to end that lifelong routine. In the end, it was the state of Saudi Arabia taking over the club that was the end of me going to matches.

In my view, supporters could have responded to the news by making it clear that we wanted nothing to do with this despotic regime. I believe a strong enough response would have killed the takeover for good.

Only a collective effort will finally allow supporters to make themselves heard. Saudi activists have told us that they believe the owners would leave if faced with any significant protests from fans, so there is every incentive to keep going.

In the meantime, the club’s reputation is in the gutter, and while that’s partly because of the ownership, it’s also down to a section of supporters who seem determined to accelerate NUFC’s transformation into a plastic, soulless, super-club, that represents an oppressive regime as much as our own community. For as long as that remains the case, I won’t be making any effort to get back to St James’ Park.

Andrew Page

Address supplied

The Tories have basic decency in their firing line

I read Adam Forrest’s recent article with interest, particularly as I believe Penny Mordaunt is correct. Many in her party allude to the Civil Service as the “Blob” which is demeaning, unfair but has resonated in the public’s mind. To keep attacking institutions such as the judiciary and even more recently members of the Privileges Committee who are investigating Boris Johnson and Partygate is just awful.

This is not grown-up behaviour and lacks credibility, decency and decorum and the government and this party are travelling fast down a rabbit hole of their own injudicious making. Naturally being a Labour supporter, they can carry on ad infinitum as far as I am concerned but it is still wrong and makes a mockery of decent, upstanding people who inhabit these committees of all political persuasions.

This party is at the end of the present political line and needs an urgent reset, before more people and well-respected institutions come into its firing line.

Judith A Daniels

Norfolk

This is not education, it’s abuse

In the time when the only school inspection regime was Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Schools, it was recognised that a more effective, all-enveloping system was needed.

We school leaders took part in exhaustive consultations as to what sort of inspection system it should be.

There were two ways forward, the “judgemental” model, and the “developmental”. With the latter, the inspector’s role was that of a  critical friend, holding to account indeed, yet advising on how to improve. Clearly school leaders at that time argued for this model to be adopted.  The government of the time chose the “judgmental” model – the regime we have now, Ofsted.

We ruefully shook our heads, knowing that a golden opportunity to improve schools, inform and involve parents, had been lost. We knew that you don’t improve something by just measuring it and denigrating those who were giving heart and soul to make things better.

The current situation, and the tragic events that have transpired, surely make it imperative that we revisit this debate, and rethink why we are inspecting, the way we inspect, and, above all abandon the ridiculous idea that an institution as complex as a school can be summed up in one word or phrase. Would any teacher or parent judge a child in this way, and sum them up in one word? This is not education, it’s abuse.

John Daintith

Chew Magna