A long break needed for ‘pipsqueak politician’ Hancock

From: Coun Peter Gruen (Lab), Shadwell Lane, Leeds.

YOUR Saturday columnist Tom Richmond is a wily and astute journalist (The Yorkshire Post, May 23). He can sniff out pomposity, false arrogance, incompetence and insincerity a mile away. And he doesn’t take prisoners when he has his prey in sight.

His high profile and irresistible portrayal of the ‘failing Grayling’ became a noose around the neck of a Minister, who left carnage behind him in every office he held; but most notably in transport.

Tom held him to account for his continuing failure to give proper priority to the plight of thousands of travellers on our buses and rail.

And told him off for his discourteous behaviour in not replying to letters sent to him.

Now Tom has done it again. He sussed out Matt Hancock early doors, referring to the fact he had ‘the whiff of the failing Graylings’ about him.

And with every utterance and empty promises and lack of contrition for massive failures in testing and towards the care sector, Hancock endorsed the view of being a rather shady second hand car salesperson.

In this week’s feature Tom dispatches him as a pipsqueak politician. Apparently Mr H asked the PM to ‘give me a break’. Yes please, and make it a long one!

From: Michael J Robinson, Park Lane, Berry Brow, Huddersfield.

IN his letter (The Yorkshire Post, May 22), Bob Watson has it exactly right when he expresses disgust at the clever clogs, with all the security of hindsight, taking opportunities to carp and snipe at the people having to take huge decisions.

You have recently published my view that Ministers, and the Prime Minister, take decisions on the basis of the information and analyses that civil servants provide them.

How can it be right to blame the Prime Minister and Matt Hancock for matters such as any shortage, for example, of essential personal protection equipment? Responsibility for the organisation of material procurement is surely the Ministry’s, not the Minister’s.

With this in mind, isn’t it strange that there seems to have been so little heard of Exercise Cygnus? This was a simulation exercise undertaken in October 2016 by NHS England to examine what the effect would be on the UK of a hypothetical influenza epidemic, so that the country could be prepared to deal with a pandemic.

The full results of Exercise Cygnus remain classified. Why?