We have an opportunity this year to remember the traditional values of Christmas and protect the vulnerable

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Christmas will not be ‘normal’ this year, so let’s embrace that (Getty)

It was refreshing to read in the article ‘Call me Scrooge, but I’m not sure Boris Johnson should save Christmas after all’ (18 November) some of the counter arguments about how we may or should celebrate Christmas this year.

Understandably, there will be many who feel differently after living with Covid restrictions over the last few months. But surely it is important for us to collectively remember that, whatever changes are made to the rules, this can never be a “normal” Christmas for many people in the UK, as well as other parts of the world.

With over 50,000 deaths in this country alone and the knock-on effects of the pandemic on family incomes, perhaps it would be a good time to return to some of the values of helping, supporting and thinking about protecting others who are more vulnerable, rather than bemoaning the possible loss of the usual festivities.  

Ken Carruthers  

Tadley, Hampshire

If Covid-19 had a brain, it would surely be gleefully anticipating us giving our relatives death hugs at Christmas.  

If the malign sliver of genetic code had a sense of humour, it might also be tempted into an evil smirk at how our politicians have come together in the cause of sentimentality, rather than reason.

Here’s a thought: instead of accidentally facilitating the decimation of our kin in December, and lumbering us with the mental health price for evermore, couldn’t our leaders facilitate the application of our humanity to create an amazing Christmas experience in our own homes and on our screens?  

Couldn’t they further encourage us by agreeing to hold a wondrous UK-wide Victory Over Covid Day further down the line? A magical moment we can all look forward to, when we will be able to safely celebrate together, embrace our treasured loved ones, and give thanks to all who made it possible.

Dr Gordon Brooks

Gosport, Hampshire

No defence for this spending

In consecutive days, £8bn has been announced to address climate change, and £16bn to increase military spending (‘Boris Johnson to announce £16.5bn military spending spree’, 18 November).  

It’s hard to comprehend, even with a Conservative Party mindset, how building up the military can be seen as twice as important as addressing climate change.  

Dr Bob Banks

Grindleford, Derbyshire

If Boris Johnson had wanted to show how out of touch he is with the day-to-day reality of life for ordinary people, he couldn’t have found a better way than to increase defence spending in the way he has.

Johnson throws away the access to critical European databases on crime without a second thought. He argues that the nation cannot afford to feed children during the school holidays. He sets benefit amounts at a level so low that recipients can’t afford to buy enough food for their family. He argues that we can’t take in more refugees because we can’t afford them. I could go on.

Yet with a view of Britain’s place in the world that might have been true over one hundred years ago, he throws money at the military like it really does grow on trees. He might complain that people think he is out of touch with reality, but when his own actions do more than anything else to cement that view, he has no one to blame but himself.

It is he, the prime minister, who is creating this bleak view of the nation’s future.

Steve Mumby

London SW6 

Pirate lessons

The first thing that entered my mind while reading the article from Maya Oppenheim, (‘Female pirate lovers whose story was ignored by male historians immortalised with statue’, 19 November), was that the self-appointed statue defenders – remember them a few months ago – are hardly likely to attend the preview in Wapping; or Devon, where the groundbreaking edifice will eventually reside.  

Not that they will be needed, of course, as pirates were a very early example of an equal opportunity employer: women and the LGTBQ+ community have already been mentioned; also there were many non-white pirates; and disabilities did not preclude one from joining or continuing to serve (think wooden legs and hooks for hands).

As far as I can gather through research (there is sadly limited literature), the only people that they discriminated against were those not bloodthirsty enough! Yes, if it wasn’t for the appalling levels of violence, they could have inspired other sectors of the community to mend their ways many years ago.

Robert Boston

Kingshill

Don’t eat this Apple

Was I alone in thinking, on discovering that £5m worth of Apple products had been stolen, that is a lot of apples?

Joanna Pallister

Durham