I note that Philip Green chose his words of denial very carefully indeed (Philip Green: I am not guilty of unlawful sexual, racist behaviour, 26 October).
I feel sure most people would think that it might have been more convincing had he not included the word “unlawful”. Shades of Bill Clinton’s equally careful choice of words of denial in 1998, perhaps?
Harvey Sanders
London
• Sir Philip Green received his knighthood in the New Labour years and kept it despite the BHS pensions scandal during the following period of Tory rule.
It is perhaps no wonder that there is disillusionment with British political culture. If Theresa May is looking for a precedent to deal with the matter she might reflect on the words of Ted Heath who labelled Tiny Rowland’s Lonrho in 1973 as the “unpleasant and unacceptable face of capitalism”.
Keith Flett
Tottenham, London
• Instead of agonising over whether or not Philip Green should be stripped of his knighthood, I suggest that the focus should be on undertaking a radical review of the whole honours system with the objective of only honouring citizens for outstanding voluntary contributions to the public good.
Nobody should be rewarded simply for doing their jobs or being considered important or famous. Sweeping away knighthoods and damehoods would be a useful step towards reducing the levels of snobbery and class-consciousness in our society and stopping further appointments to the House of Lords would facilitate its long-overdue reform.
Jim Michie
Christleton, Cheshire
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