Boris Johnson’s Ukraine visit proves how irrelevant the UK has become

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Of course Boris Johnson had to go to Ukraine. He’s welcome there, unlike in the north of England (AP)

Only Boris Johnson will know what made him prioritise his most recent spontaneous visit to Ukraine over a pre-arranged meeting with his MPs in the context of an important by-election.

However, his bigger mistake is surely that he popped up in Kyiv only 24 hours after the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Romania were there to talk together about Ukraine’s desires for EU membership, which grabbed the global headlines.

If Johnson had wanted to show how Britain’s role in the world really has changed, and not for the stronger, he couldn’t have found a better way to do it. Do he and his advisers seriously have no sense of perspective and a bigger picture?

Charles Wood

Birmingham

Welcome in Ukraine

Of course Boris Johnson had to go to Ukraine. He’s welcome there, unlike in the north of England, and he’s always been happy to dodge anything that might make him uncomfortable.

I, for one, am sick of hearing some people say “he’s done a good job on many issues” or “he makes me laugh”. Sorry, but are these people living in the same world as the rest of us?

L Robertson

Orkney

If only the by-election was a bit further away from London than Wakefield – in Kyiv, say. Boris Johnson would walk it.

Maybe he should join President Zelensky’s government and make the case for joining the EU.

Lynn Brymer

Ashford, Kent

A place of refuge

Every time Boris is in trouble at home, he flies off to Kyiv to seek refuge. What is the difference between Boris seeking refuge in Kyiv, and Afghans, Iraqis and Syrians seeking refuge in Britain?

Perhaps Boris should be kicked and pushed onto the first flight to Rwanda to taste his own medicine.

Mr J Khan

Address supplied

Electronic tagging

Boris Johnson supports the trial of a system to electronically tag certain refugees arriving in the UK. Had Johnson been electronically tagged during the past couple of decades, what should we have discovered about his movements?

John Stephen McLorinan

Weston-super-Mare, Somerset

Charlie Sheen and parental proximity

In response to Victoria Richards’ piece on Charlie Sheen and his daughter, the writer says it’s arguably irrelevant that he doesn’t live in the family house, and his responsibilities do not stop at the end of the driveway.

It’s not arguably irrelevant, it’s paramount to the issue. If he’s not there in the family home, then he’s not party to conversations and decisions that are going to be made. By the time he hears about them, things will already have been signed, sealed and delivered.

If he was living under their roof as a family man with his family, he’d be able to pick up on suggestions and discussions before things actually happen.

If a teenage girl wants to do something and her mother says: “It’s your life you go ahead.” Then she will go ahead and do it. If the father was there, he may have another point of view, and discuss it with his daughter and her mother.

Good nurture for a child in their formative years is so important – it is the foundation for their life and affects their future adult decisions.

It was a thought-provoking article, and I know that Charlie Sheen has had his ups and downs. He’s always going to be someone in the headlines, but that should not prevent him from being an active father.

Steve

Kent

Not moving on

Oh, how interesting to hear those Conservative MPs wishing us all to move on from Partygate.

My father died of dementia in a care home during restrictions and I obeyed the rules, as did so many other families in similar distressing circumstances.

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Whatever the specific rules that were in place at any one time during the Covid pandemic, there was one simple overall  message – do not mix unless necessary. Our prime minister mixed when it was not necessary and neither, apparently, discouraged others from meeting when it was not necessary.

That is why Partygate will not go away and people cannot move on whilst he remains in office. Memories of a man who willingly flouted the rules, whilst exhorting others to obey, will only be dimmed when he leaves his post.

Those who choose to place a protective ring around Mr Johnson must realise this should they wish to move on from Partygate. Rules and laws covering his leadership could be broken or changed, provided it is done in a limited and specific way.

Colin Washer

Worthing, Sussex