No one apart from the two people involved know whether Boris Johnson groped a young journalist (Ministers defend PM on groping allegations, 1 October). But the immediate backing of the PM’s denials by senior ministers is worrying. When the chancellor, the culture secretary and the chair of the party immediately state they “don’t doubt what he has said for a second” and “there is no truth in these allegations”, on what grounds have they made this judgment?
Surely it cannot merely be on the word of a serial liar? Johnson is well known to have lied about past sexual misdemeanours. On important national issues such as whether many millions of Turkish immigrants will be allowed into the country without checks or if the police have been guilty of wastefully “spaffing money against the wall” investigating child abuse allegations, he has denied on camera saying such things although there is incontrovertible filmed evidence of him doing exactly that.
So for senior ministers to state his denial is proof that something never happened does not inspire faith in their ability to make reasoned and balanced judgments.
Dr Chris Morris
Kidderminster, Worcestershire
• That Toby Young can state that “people complained if Boris didn’t put his hand on their knee. Times really have changed” shows utter contempt for the women who were his colleagues. Thank goodness times have changed but shame on him that he hasn’t.
Ann Lynch
Skipton, North Yorkshire
• You tell us Rachel Maclean, a Tory MP, says Boris is a feminist (Prime minister forced into denial of claims that he groped two women, 30 September). But you have never reported what plans he has to overthrow the patriarchy! Please find out. Is he going to introduce non-sexist primary schools? Universal, all-hours, free childcare – even for children with extra needs? Increase child benefit to a level at which mothers can feed their children well? Force all employers to have a 50:50 ratio of women and men in every job – especially in parliament? Actually enforce the Equal Pay Act?
Henrietta Cubitt
Cambridge
• Much as I agree with the content of Polly Toynbee’s article (This party split the country. A cash splurge can’t repair it, 1 October), I was shocked to see her imitating Johnson’s crude language in “spaffing some last-minute cash”. When he first used it in describing spending money on investing child sexual abuse (“spaffing money against the wall”), I had to look up the word. It means “ejaculating”. That Toynbee should now be using this revolting term is worrying.
Diana Birkett
London
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