So the “unexpected” controls at Northern Irish ports come as a result of “rows between negotiators and time constraints”. Are the government admitting that they should have asked for an extension to sort this out before plunging Northern Ireland into chaos, or are they admitting that the situation is an inevitable result of Brexit (UK to seek lifting of Brexit controls in Northern Ireland, 2 February)?
Deirdre Burrell
Mortimer, Berkshire
• Please can the Covid-19 variant B117 be referred to as the “Johnson variant” rather than the “Kent” or “English” variant, to clearly attribute it to those who provided the conditions for its development?
Marion Helme
Malvern, Worcestershire
• As a citizen of the world, I accept Mark O’Connell’s claim that I cannot avoid being tied up with Jeff Bezos’s empire in one way or another (A managerial Mephistopheles’: inside the mind of Jeff Bezos, 3 February). However, as a consumer, I have every right to say that if I can only get something from Amazon I clearly don’t need it.
Geoff Reid
Bradford
• Normally I look forward to a Marina Hyde column, but today she has lost me (Let the Instagram influencers go to Dubai – they’re uniting the nation, 2 February). Maybe it’s because I’m 75 and don’t use social media, but what is an influencer?
Rodney Smith
Newton Mearns, East Renfrewshire
• “What makes a perfect pub?” asks Adrian Chiles (3 February). Easy. One that’s open.
Keith Hayton
Glasgow
