The class clown has won. Now let’s see if he can do the hard bit

Britain's most charismatic politician is now in the top job. But will his charisma equal his political skill when dealing with the EU? Smiles, jokes, and quips, will not get the United Kingdom a deal which it badly needs.

British politics is in a precarious position and could leave us all on these islands at grave economic risk if the UK cannot regularise its position with the EU going forward. There is an awesome responsibility on Mr Johnson and it will not be long at all before the gaiety is over and serious talking begins with the EU.

Britain can get out, but that does not mean it will be in a better position after it gets out. There will be a lot of loose ends to be tied up in a no-deal scenario which could make trade impossible or very difficult. Britain's class-clown better know what he's doing!

Maurice Fitzgerald
Shanbally​

I would like to offer my commiserations to the losers of the Conservative Party leadership race – I gather there are some 67 million of us.

Julian Self
Wolverton

The UK parliamentary electors numbered 45,775,800 in December 2018.

In July 2019 the number of Conservative Party members eligible for the leadership contest between Johnson and Hunt was 159,320. That is 0.34 per cent of the electorate.

Johnson won the contest by receiving 92,153 votes, that is, 0.2 per cent of the electorate and he is now our designated prime minister.

And we call ourselves a democracy. It is a thorough disgrace. Is not the Queen as our head of state obliged to intervene in this travesty? After all, it is she who formally appoints the prime minister. Surely the only proper and constitutional solution is to call a general election. And why would Johnson oppose this if he is so confident (as no doubt he is) that he is behaving in the best interests of the whole country?

David Ashton
Shipbourne

Will there be calls for another Tory leadership contest if Boris Johnson’s premiership proves a disaster? Or, would such a move be shouted down as a gross betrayal of democracy by thwarting the will of the people who voted for him?

Roger Hinds
Surrey

No deal? How about no Brexit

Congratulations to Jo Swinson and the Lib Dems for their calm rationality. The focus now needs to move away from the ridiculous notion of a no-deal Brexit which neither parliament nor the people support. Instead we should resume the debate about "any Brexit at all" because Brexit itself does not command the support of an unwhipped parliament or the people either. No deal is leading us astray; I suspect this is a deliberate ploy.

David Lowndes​
Soberton

Lib Dems are the Tories in yellow

The newly elected leader of the Lib Dems Jo Swinson had no trouble working in coalition with the Tories between 2010 and 2015 and enabled austerity policies which led to the premature deaths of 120,000 of the poorest and disadvantaged.

Jo Swinson has not ruled out forming another coalition with the Tories but has ruled out a Lib Dem pact with Labour while Jeremy Corbyn is their leader.

That really tells you everything worth knowing about Swinson and the Lib Dems.

They’re the Tories in yellow.

As for Swinson ruling out a coalition with Labour – nobody’s asking.

Sasha Simic
London N16