PM plumbs depths

Boris Johnson's response to Keir Starmer in the Commons on Monday plumbed new depths. His accusation that, as DPP, Starmer failed to prosecute Savile was merely another falsehood, but one so thoroughly despicable that it merely demonstrated the depths to which he has dragged our nation's politics.

Nazir Afzal, the respected former Chief Prosecutor for the North West, considers Mr Johnson"a disgrace to Parliament and the office of Prime Minister." After Johnson's performance yesterday, Mr Afzal was prompted to point out that Keir Starmer had nothing to do with the decisions taken not to prosecute Savile. Mr Afzal knew that because he was there as witness. On the contrary, he said that Starmer supported him "in bringing hundreds of child sex abusers to justice."

Mr Johnson's mendacity has reduced this country to a laughing stock, more a version of Lucas and Walliams' Little Britain than Britain Unchained. As a result, the continuing scandals engulfing Downing Street make his posturing over the Ukraine and Ms Truss's over China derisive. If Putin and Xi are quivering in their boots it'll be through laughter.

Mr Johnson's accusation might have been appreciated by the hooray-henries he have once amused at the Oxford Union, and he clearly still has his supporters among your colleagues on the Government benches. But where do you stand?

Mike White

Orchard Grove

Bromham

Why no letters?

I took up your offer to receive the Gazette weekly at a reduced price. Since then I have noticed the paper seems to have less proper news, more full page adverts and for the last four weeks, no letters.

The letter has always been my favourite page, so I decided this morning to write this letter.

Now a new problem appears – there is no address to send it to! I don’t know if you realise that thousands of elderly people do not have computers or mobile phones.

I have been phoning all morning to get the address of your office but cannot ever get an answer from all the phone numbers of your various departments – ‘except leave a message and I will get back to you.’

Perhaps that is the reason you no longer have a letter page?

I am hoping for some sort of response to this letter but I am not very hopeful.

Kathleen Parkinson

Silbury Road,

Calne

Editor's reply

Thank you very much for getting in touch Mrs Parkinson.

I can assure the amount of news hasn’t changed but I apologise for the problems you have had in getting in touch with us which, frankly, as a community newspaper is not on.

We are in the process of overhauling how we can be contacted, which includes refreshing our contacts and putting in the address for correspondence.

As I begin my term editing this paper, I really do want to encourage as many letters as possible as it is often my favourite page too, so implore you and your family and friends to keep writing in. I look forward to seeing your thoughts and observations!

Daniel Chipperfield

Letters disappointment

I opened my copy of today's Gazette and Herald to find that, although the letters page was listed in the contents on page 2, it was actually nowhere to be found in the body of the paper. There was, however, a none-too-impressive photo of Swindon in the sixties, spread over two pages. And fourteen pages of TV listings, which seems a trifle excessive in a modestly-sized publication.

This is not the first time that you have left the letters page out of the paper. Why is this? Surely the people of Wiltshire haven't stopped writing to you about the issues that concern them. I for one would very much rather read about those issues than view old photos. It's part of the reason I continue to buy a local newspaper.

Please ensure that in future the letters page is restored to its place as a fixture in the Gazette and Herald.

Declan McSweeney

Victoria Rd

Devizes

Editor's reply

Thank you for getting in touch Mr McSweeney, I have replied to you personally but this is a great opportunity to encourage all readers to get in touch more. The page error was a production issue now solved but I urge all our readers to get in touch with their letters on the issues of the day as well as what they feel deserves a wider audience. You can send your correspondence to me at letters@gazetteandherald.co.uk

Daniel Chipperfield

MP's fuel bill query

Our local MP Mr Kruger tells us he has spent considerable time trying to lower his extraordinarily high fuel bill. Nowhere in the article by Kirsten Grant does it tell us what he did to try to lower his bill or why it was so high in his second home.

Perhaps your newspaper can get him to write an article for all his constituents on how we can lower our fuel bills. When our fuel bills rocket in a few months time hundreds will be in fuel poverty unless the government he supports does something to help lower costs.

Roger Day

Wedhampton

MP incommunicado?

Despite several attempts, over several months, to contact North Wiltshire M.P. James Gray (I am a constituent), I have received no reply.

I surely have a right to know his opinions, whether I agree with them or not is immaterial. Granted, this may be a problem for him, particularly at the moment, as he tends to go the way the wind blows. Should Gray wish to remain incommunicado, he cannot remain as the parliamentary spokesman for North Wiltshire. He needs to resign, with immediate effect. James Saxton

Zander Road

Calne

Do you have a view on the news? Send a letter to letters@gazetteandherald.co.uk or letters@swindonadvertiser.co.uk