With Boris Johnson so far in front let’s not waste a month on hustings
SIR – It is obvious that Boris Johnson will win the leadership election. Almost three times the number of MPS voted for him than for the secondplaced candidate. He is also the clear favourite among party members, with a massive 43 per cent lead over his nearest rival.
Given that, and the very close deadline until we leave the European Union in October, the contest between the final two candidates should be shortened to one week. Having a month-long hustings is not going to change the result and merely wastes time. A single hustings debate that is televised so that all party members can see it, followed by the vote a day later, would suffice. David Kilpatrick
St Albans, Hertfordshire
SIR – It seems clear that Boris Johnson is the only candidate to lead the Conservative Party to victory in the next election, but he first has to succeed in being elected leader of the party. May I remind my fellow Conservatives that the alternatives are the Brexit Party or the Labour Party? The first has only a policy on Brexit and the second has policies on everything but Brexit. Stuart Jamieson
Eccleston, Lancashire
SIR – I wish Boris Johnson well in his leadership campaign, but I’m conscious that previous experience indicates that the initial front-runner rarely succeeds. Pete Senior
Wakefield, West Yorkshire
SIR – Your headline yesterday, quoting Boris Johnson, read: “Now is the time to remember our duty to the people.” It’s only three years too late. Pat Taylor
Fetcham, Surrey
SIR – News that Britain has some of the worst family-friendly policies in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (report, June 13) should make politicians sit up and take notice. Will the candidates in the Conservative leadership contest commit themselves to promoting family-friendly policies? They could start by engaging with the Manifesto to Strengthen Families, signed by more than 60 MPS and peers.
Encouraging marriage as the gold standard of commitment goes hand in hand with promoting family policies. The new prime minister must back both. James Mildred
Christian Action Research and Education
London SW1
SIR – The BBC keeps requesting a debate with Boris Johnson regarding the leadership contest. It is obvious that it does not want a debate at all. To date, BBC journalists have not asked him any pertinent questions regarding leadership or Brexit. They have only asked impertinent and irrelevant questions in order to discredit him. Stefan Reszczynski
Margate, Kent