Marina Hyde’s article (How will the great wrecker Boris Johnson break himself out of this bind?, 18 January) is the best in-depth commentary on the fallout of partygate, and makes us realise that the daily cross-questioning on our screens is far more serious than mere scandal.
As No 10’s actions become a spectator sport, the danger is that we don’t notice our NHS being bled dry, our national broadcaster being softened up for private sale, our schools hosting a virus that can be deadly and life-changing for our children, and more than £4bn being lost to fraudsters and not recouped.
Thank goodness for the House of Lords, quietly sitting it out while everyone’s eyes are on the main stage, so that Priti Patel’s policing bill is voted down and we might get to keep our right to protest (Report, 18 January). Yes, serious emotional damage has been done by the party culture that may preclude any government from ever demanding such sacrifice again. But for now, we need to maintain our vigilance to protect the services and institutions that express the integrity and compassion that is absent at the very top.
Yvonne Williams
Ryde, Isle of Wight
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