JOHN CUMBERLAND “Boris off the hook” (HAS, May 25) is disgusted by remarks made about the Prime Minister.

I’m equally disgusted about Mr Cumberland’s own remarks about what situation we would be in if Jeremy Corbyn was running the country along with Diane Abbott.

We will never know how Jeremy Corbyn and Diane Abbott would have fared, and these cheap remarks by Conservative supporters carry no substance.

It is up to the government with their actions to deter criticism of the Prime Minister. Of course I know that the government do not wish our citizens harm in this pandemic.

However the government are our leaders, and have overall responsibility for tackling the most serious crisis in this country which is also the most serious crisis in the world, in my lifetime. I’m aged 56. Suggesting that we shouldn’t criticise the government at a time like this, is what we call gaslighting.

Mr Cumberland writes that the PPE problem is further down the chain. That may be, but in a national crisis it is the government’s responsibility to tackle this.

In the long hot summer of 1976 the government appointed a Drought Minister. Therefore does the current crisis not merit the appointment of a Coronavirus Minister?

It is commendable that so many companies and individuals have stepped up to make PPE and other items required by doctors and nurses, however we need a Coronavirus Minister or whoever is in charge, to appear on television and appeal for as many people who can to come forward and help with the supply of PPE.

A good idea by the press was when a rainbow appeared on the front page of every newspaper. We could have done the same with the picture of Lord Kitchener in order to ask for help with PPE.

In this crisis we don’t say “the government can’t be expected to do that.” Ways need to be found so that they “can do that”.

Jeremy Whiting, Great Lumley.