Getting personal

SIR – You report (October 1) on “Hammond’s broadside at Boris the ‘incapable’. ”

Did no one ever tell Philip Hammond that when you attack the man and not the ball, you’ve lost the argument? Gill Holden

Farnborough, Hampshire

SIR – Philip Hammond accuses Boris Johnson of being “incapable” of grown-up politics while in the same breath childishly mocking his accent and language.

Perhaps he should take a look at himself before mocking or panning others. He holds one of the great offices of state yet, like Theresa May, has neither the personality nor the imagination to do the job – unlike the man he criticises.

One can only conclude that he must be envious of Mr Johnson’s personality and popularity. Richard Burden

Rainham, Kent

SIR – Mr Hammond’s criticism that Mr Johnson is not a “details” person shows how little he understands very basic personality traits.

All groups need members with different skills and aptitudes. Good leaders are able to see the big picture. They have vision, commitment and communication skills.

They do not need to be experts in detail, as that is the job of their well-chosen team-mates and colleagues (who often cannot see the big picture but who revel in detail).

The tragedy is that, while the big-picture person is usually able to see the need for those who excel at detail, those people are often unable to appreciate the special skills of the leader who takes a more holistic view. Pamela Wheeler

Shrewsbury, Shropshire

SIR – Mr Hammond seems to have caught the epidemic currently sweeping the nation, for which there appears to be no cure.

So I ran out of counting sentences beginning with “so”, and it’s so, so annoying. My neighbour, who is so-so at the moment, also finds it so annoying.

So can we stop this nonsense? John Pell

Herne, Kent