I AGREE with Kirsty Strickland (Were Javid’s shameful comments calculated, not careless?, July 26). The “cowering” comment is very likely to be a flanking manoeuvre by Javid, still smarting from the ignominy of having been sacked from the Chancellorship and hoping to gain an advantage over Johnson, while the latter is still “cowering” in Chequers. Leadership challenge pending?
READ MORE: Sajid Javid forced to retract comment about 'cowering' from Covid
Meanwhile, Johnson too is on manoeuvres. Under pressure because of Covid chaos, he instinctively reaches for Law and Order, that old reliable warhorse of the Tories. Why are the opposition parties content to pay lip service to the “tough on crime” idea? It’s indisputable that income inequality, the wealth gap which has widened even further during the pandemic as Tory politicians enriched their friends, is a major factor in the prevalence of crime. He could tackle that without annoying the overworked police. Cause and effect: Tory policy is a major cause of crime which in turn justifies the Tory policy of being tough on crime.
Derek Ball
Bearsden
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