I FEEL I must reply to Christine Cassell - Echo Letters 11.12.20.

Where on earth have I been condescending towards Priti Patel in my text 3.12.20?

I have just stuck to the hard evidence.

As for respect?

Well you are quite right there Christine, I have no respect at all for bully’s and those that swear at their staff and blame everyone but themselves when as the head of dept they are supposed shoulder all responsibility.

It’s what they are paid for, yet in her and other ministers cases they were appointed simply for their loyalty to a terrible PM.

That is why Patel is still in post. Simple as that.

Also your employment or mine in the Civil Service is of no consequence at all Christine and yes it’s true by their very nature civil service jobs have a certain stuffy mentality and swagger riding with them.

I took little notice for my own part.

I don’t suppose though you were part of the Westminster bubble any more than I was and comparing a brilliant but fictional satirical comedy such as “Yes Minister” does a person of your intelligence no favours.

Such offerings are strictly for entertainment only and therefore exaggerated with that purpose in mind from the onset.

Yes Windrush was/is a scandal and Brexit has been a mess in my opinion.

So again these are poor comparisons which were never even mentioned in your original missive.

So you therefore don’t really have the right to question me on them or the deportation of criminals either.

Because those subjects were not then on the table.

I’m not Perry Mason and neither are you Judge Judy.

So every case, has to be closely examined, on its own merits. Again it’s the province of the Legal Eagles. Not ours, whether you like it or not.

You certainly have not offended me as you ask but you have diverted the debate - which in fairness, I have done my utmost to answer.

I cannot allow you though without challenge, to instruct me on what I can laugh at or not so.

It was another correspondent Geoffrey Brooking Nov 30th, that I unofficially awarded joke of the year potential, when he asked us to “trust” of all people Boris Johnson.

Perhaps though you are right Christine, it wasn’t exactly hilarious as it’s much more serious than that.

Let’s put it this way, if they were to make a stage musical of Pinocchio - if they haven’t already - Boris Johnson is surely a natural for the lead role.

Chris Newman, Southampton.