After the scenes in Bournemouth, how can Boris Johnson expect people to be responsible this weekend?

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Boris Johnson has said that he believed people would act responsibly when the pubs open on Saturday, even encouraging them to grab a drink.

This was presumably on the evidence that they acted responsibly when allowed onto the beaches, again, after his asking seaside councils to have the guts to open up.

How can he expect ordinary people to act responsibly when the evidence shows the opposite and he can’t even trust his own senior advisers or his father to obey the rules? But then, maybe the rules don’t apply to some?

G Forward
Stirling

A knee or two fingers?

Boris Johnson has said he won’t take the knee in support of Black Lives Matter as he doesn’t believe in gestures. So what about his clapping for carers? He also says he would rather do things that make a practical difference. I agree, justice for all Windrush victims would be a good start.

Marguerite Grey
County Durham

Is the Boris Johnson who told a radio audience on Friday that he wouldn’t “take the knee” in solidarity with Black Lives Matter because “I don’t believe in gestures” the same Boris Johnson who, three days earlier, argued people should clap for “capitalists and financiers” the way people have been applauding NHS and other key workers during the coronavirus pandemic?

As far as I see it, there’s only one gesture fit for the hypocrite – and it involves two fingers of one hand.

Sasha Simic
London N16

Wrong on Hong Kong

How can the government offer 3 million citizens from Hong Kong British citizenship?

We had Brexit to control immigration, we have a massive housing shortage because of immigration, our schools are full, our public services are swamped by debt and poor operations.

Has the government forgotten everything since 23 June 2016? Does it really think we are big enough to stand up to China?

Keith Jacques
Stafford

European crime fighters

Good news about our police taking down a huge number of criminals after their encrypted phones were cracked by French and Netherlands investigators. The UK police were tipped off through Europol.

Just as well it happened this year, then, since next year, as I understand it, we will no longer be in Europol.

David Watson
Henley-on-Thames

Fines for parents

Now Gavin Williamson, the education secretary, is shifting all blame to the parents. Instead of doing some real work to ensure that schools and colleges are safe spaces which parents will be happy for their children to return to, he has threatened fines for those who (understandably) are unconvinced that their children will be protected from Covid-19 infection.

We are the little people, the hoi polloi; we are not important.

Ian Hurdley
Ferndown