AS a heavily redacted “update” of the Gray report has now been delivered to No 10 Downing Street, courtesy of instructions from the Met, it does not take a Hercule Poirot to calculate the reaction of the Prime Minister and the overwhelmingly right-wing media.

Boris Johnson is a congenital and habitual liar who has apparently deceived parliament, his own party and the general public as well as treating the ministerial code in a disdainful and maverick fashion. The cloak-and-dagger machinations that have surrounded the existence and delaying of the report displays a level of corruption seldom witnessed, even in UK politics. Johnson has used the time to threaten his own MPs, change the narrative and influence the leader of the London Met, Cressida Dick, to cover his back, presumably in exchange for future honours or increased power.

READ MORE: Boris Johnson grilled for two hours on Gray report

The initial report makes minimal reference to certain events that the Met are investigating – a breathtaking request under the circumstances and one of very dubious legal standing. Most revealingly, a spokesman for Mr Johnson has given no guarantees that the Gray report will be available in full to parliament or the general public but only what the Prime Minister deems “appropriate.”

We have surely arrived at what Jacob Rees-Mogg admitted recently to be a presidential form of government, only this now smells and tastes like a Pinochet or a sawdust Franco, with his flagrantly deceitful, undemocratic and unscrupulous leadership hiding in plain sight.

READ MORE: Boris Johnson pressed on drug culture in Westminster and reacts with Labour accusation

The UK now only masquerades as a democratic state and the incompetent and hubristic blockhead who masquerades as Prime Minister remains in place due to a pusillanimous party and a supine and mediocre Cabinet who are as amoral and as fraudulent as him. As we are forced to impotently view this sleaze that he embodies, which has now truly reached Trumpian levels, it is time for the Scottish Government to not simply call out this unacceptable state of affairs but to give the people of Scotland a tangible hope for the immediate future.

Owen Kelly
Stirling

I’M almost at a loss for words on the latest Westminster fiasco. The SNP group leader is ordered out of the Commons for saying that the Prime Minister misled the House. Apparently it’s against the rules to claim a fellow MP is a liar, but not against the rules for any MP including the PM to lie in almost every statement they make!

READ MORE: Ian Blackford KICKED OUT of House of Commons after Boris Johnson criticism

The current Speaker is less than useless, hiding behind archaic rules to discipline an MP who calls out a liar but doing absolutely nothing to stop the PM from lying. This is not democracy – it’s an old boys’ club with rules to pretend they’re all honourable members when the Covid pandemic has shown that the Tories are mainly crooks and liars – and let’s not get started on the Tory wannabes on Labour benches! A Prime Minister who can lie to parliament, lie to the media and get away with it highlights all that is wrong with “British democracy”.

Let’s fast-track our independence away from the corruption of Westminster.

Cllr Kenny MacLaren
Paisley

YOUR website leads with “Ian Blackford KICKED OUT of House of Commons after Boris Johnson criticism”. May I correct that? Ian Blackford was “kicked out” for telling the TRUTH.

Dr Peter Storch
Rhu

NOT only is the Gray report a total farce, Prime Minister’s questions in this “cesspit” is also. Well done Ian Blackford, at least you have the backbone to say what everyone in the country knows: Boris Johnson is a LIAR.

Ken McCartney
Hawick

THE use of the word “rhubarb” to refer to “piffle”, as mentioned in Saturday’s letters page, may actually have an ancient and somewhat illustrious pedigree.

Not only has it been used over many years on stage to create a babble of chatter where none is scripted, but it is closely related in this respect to the word “barbarian” in ancient times – that is, someone who speaks an unintelligible language which to the uninitiated sounds like “bar, bar, bar”!

Surely, therefore, a highly appropriate word for the normal utterances of our esteemed PM!

P Davidson
Falkirk

I WAS highly disappointed to read that Andrew Neil was in discussion with Channel 4 regarding a new weekly politics show.

Is this really the best they can do? I can’t think of any exposé in recent years that Neil has extracted from his interviewees, even using – in my opinion – his hectoring, bullying style.

Given his recent sojourn to GB News, if not before, he is strongly associated with his right-wing views – views which frequently seem to emerge either in interrogation “lite” or aggression depending on the political leanings of his “guest”. We know it well and we know his views, we’ve heard them all before.

I believe the Channel 4 brand would be greatly diminished by his inclusion. The broadcast media could benefit from the inclusion of some fresh, balanced, political perspectives, and I am not sure someone so closely linked with The Spectator has much to offer in that regard.

I Easton
Glasgow

THE vaccine sceptic, anti-lockdown campaigner, Brexiteer and strident right-wing populist Laurence Fox says he has coronavirus. Finally a chance to use a catchy quip I came across many years ago – his karma ran over his dogma.

David White
Galashiels