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It’s only a matter of time before Boris Johnson’s populist campaign hits full steam – so why aren’t opposition parties ready?

Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

Thursday 25 July 2019 15:46 BST
Comments
Boris Johnson says that 'my job is to serve you the people'

Now we have Boris Johnson’s new regime in place we are told to prepare for a snap general election. With Dominic Cummings appointed as a key adviser to the new PM, the opposition parties now know exactly how Johnson’s campaign will be run: a key populist nationalist slogan repeated over and over again until, like an earworm, it is set in the electorate’s consciousness.

The opposition parties should be prepared and fight fire with fire. They should be working on their own earworms and preparing a social media blitzkrieg. They won’t of course.

Chris Elshaw
Headley Down, Hampshire

Rule of claw

The dominance of Brexiteer hawks in Boris Johnson’s cabinet suggests his administration ought to be called: “the government of all the talons”.

Roger Hinds
Surrey

O tempora, o mores!

Mr Johnson’s entry to Downing Street evokes a certain well-known Latin phrase, capax imperii, nisi imperasset, which means “capable of governing unless he were to govern”.

O tempora, o mores! (O times, o morals!). We shall see.

Rosemary Morlin
Oxford

A ‘one party’ state

I strongly question our new prime minister’s pledge to “defeat” Jeremy Corbyn. Defeat him how and in what contest? Why are the Conservatives so focused on destroying any opposition party? Do they really want a “one party” state? If so, things are much worse than I had thought.

We need an opposition party. Some may not want Corbyn leading it but, equally, some may not want Johnson leading the government. Why can’t the Tories grow up and realise this is not some Lord of the Flies scenario?

Mr Johnson: for better or worse, you are currently in power and so do not have to defeat the leader of the opposition (who, in case you have misunderstood, is not in power) – unless you are calling a general election. Is that simple enough for you?

Beryl Wall
London W4

Dominic Raab as foreign secretary

We must hope that Dominic Raab, in his shiny new post as foreign secretary, will attend some geography lessons as soon as possible. Otherwise he might just confuse the Strait of Hormuz with the English Channel and the port of Dover!

Sue Breadner
Isle of Man

Over-sixties bus passes

I, and I am sure many other over-sixties, am shocked and horrified by the massive hypocrisy of the Welsh assembly and the decision announced by the Welsh transport secretary to remove free bus passes for the over-sixties.

This decision is particularly hypocritical in view of recent statements by the assembly, when cancelling the M4 relief road, that we should all be encouraged to use public transport more to save the environment!

Now those over-sixties who can and do choose to use public transport are going to be ripped off by being forced to pay bus charges, which, being one of the poorer and more vulnerable sectors of society, they will find difficult to afford.

For many over-sixties these passes are a godsend. They will find it difficult to afford to pay the fares on the buses which they rely on to get them out of their houses and enable them to meet and socialise with other people. Not to mention attend doctors, hospitals, and carry out the normal necessities of living.

Ian McNicholas
Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent​

Independent Minds Events: get involved in the news agenda

Seagull steals dog

Have you inadvertently provided the solution to the brutal abduction of Gizmo the chihuahua? Clearly, nefarious gangs of dog-nappers are now employing seagulls to carry out their crimes. If nothing else (and with Il Dude in No 10 it is nothing else), the UK leads the world in the inventiveness of its criminal classes.

Robin J Bulow
Deal, Kent

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