Sonia Purnell (The country needs a diplomat, Boris Johnson is a liability, 15 July) cites a “former colleague” of Boris Johnson to the effect that “like Palmerston, he had not friends but merely interests” (the “merely” greatly devalues a reference to “eternal” interests); but Palmerston was referring to the UK, and national interests, not to himself and personal chums; a crucial distinction which is probably beyond the narcissistic grasp of our new foreign secretary.
Professor Alan Knight
St Antony’s College, Oxford
• So, our new foreign secretary’s plane was grounded as he left for his first assignment in Brussels (Boris emergency, 18 July). Presumably he continued his journey by zipwire, his preferred form of travel?
Norma Hornby
Warrington
• I once returned from Paris to London on the Eurostar to be told that I was on “le train présidentiel” as President Chirac and his entourage were occupying two carriages on a state visit to the UK. Why does Boris Johnson need to fly to Brussels on a dedicated RAF plane? The time saving door-to-door is dubious, and both the cost and the damage to the environment are higher.
Alec Nacamuli
London
• The unprecedented severance payments to David Cameron’s special advisers at this time of austerity constitute one of the nastiest, most arrogant actions of this generation (Cameron overruled Whitehall to boost aides’ payouts to £1m, 18 July). If I were an ex-steelworker, ex-miner or homeless I’d be even more livid.
Kit Jackson
London
• The “old adage” Harry Wiles refers to (Letters, 18 July) was neater in its original form from Sir Henry Wotton (1568-1639): “An ambassador is an honest man sent to lie abroad for the good of his country.”
Susan Reynolds
London
• I was entertained when checking the programmes listed in the Guide for 18 July. BBC4 has What Do Artists Do All Day? followed by Swim the Channel.
Val Palmer
South Shields, South Tyneside
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