Senior Tories seem to be driven by vanity

The most prominent Conservatives these days seem to be addicted to vanity. They will say anything to get admiration.

Boris Johnson at COP 26 warned the world is ‘one minute to midnight’ on climate change and that the world has “run down the clock” on climate change. But he is the one who has run down the clock.

Previously in some of his speeches he has said:

■ “I can’t stand this December heat but it has nothing to do with global warming”

■ Four years ago, he described climate change as a “primitive fear” that is “without foundation”.

■ “There is no evidence that the planet is suffering from the extreme weather patterns associated with climate change”

■ “Even if it were true that driving cars causes typhoons, these vehicle emissions amount to barely a quarter of atmospheric pollution”.

■ “Wind farms couldn’t pull the skin off a rice pudding”

■ In 2010, Johnson cut the size of the clean air zone in London “The effect on both pollution and congestion, we think, will be vanishingly small.” Three years later in 2013, Ella Adoo-kissi-debrah, who lived near the South Circular Road in Lewisham, died from asthma brought on by dangerous vehicle fumes.

Jacob Rees-mogg said Owen Paterson should be given a second chance, but then changed his mind overnight to deny that chance, simply to stay on trend.

It would not be too bad if it was their degree of support that varied on the various issues they pontificate about, but it is the ease with which they take a completely opposite view that proves they just want to admire themselves as they try to catch the wind.

Nicholas Hales Bath