Was your G2 piece on Douglas Carswell (‘Why do we have to be governed by these mediocrities’, 20 October) meant to be satirical? Carswell has just joined the biggest bunch of political and intellectual mediocrities on the planet. When Robert Kilroy-Silk, a former LSE law lecturer and former Labour MP, joined them, he discovered they were a bunch of “rightwing fascist nutters”. They have not changed or improved since then. Mind you, Carswell’s own published views are hardly moderate.
Professor Alan Sked
London School of Economics
• How does one become aloof from the establishment and retain the office of lord mayor of London? How can one dine with Lord Brittan on several occasions, be a neighbour of the Brittans, have coffee with and be a work colleague of Lady Brittan as a magistrate, while remaining on distant terms with the Brittans (Report, 22 October)? Would it not have been far better to have appointed Professor Alexis Jay to head the government inquiry into child sex abuse?
Helen Pender
Oakham, Rutland
• Before the Disneyfication of all our traditional celebrations (Farmers warn of pumpkin crisis, 22 October), at Halloween “turnip lanterns” were hollowed out from swedes, suspended on strings, lit and carried around by “guisers” (at least in Scotland) who sang or recited to earn pennies-for-the-guy. Something you could recommend in G2 this week?
Ralph Gordon
Romford, Essex
• You tell us that in the European Championships Jo Pavey outran Clémence Calvin, “who at the time was 16 and a half years younger than her” (Interview, Sport, 21 October). Could you tell us what the age gap between them is now?
Ian Fyfe
Yarm, Stockton-on-Tees
• I was puzzled by Tuesday’s letters page (21 October). One complaining about effing and blinding in West End theatre and another promoting the Ukip agenda. Might buy the Telegraph tomorrow to test radical opinion.
Bryan Ferriman
Kenilworth, Warwickshire
• This article was amended on 23 October 2014 after an editing error placed Yarm in North Yorkshire.
