GREED is certainly a common human characteristic; one that frequently leads to crime, and even wars.

Moreover, together with our capitalist and political systems, it is responsible for the fact that far too much of the world’s wealth is controlled by a privileged few, whereas far too many are condemned to poverty.

Boris Johnson, and other well-off Conservative supporters, may consider this a good thing; I do not.

Most of the large costs required to develop the Covid-19 vaccines were provided by states and not by the capitalist pharmaceutical companies (including the AstraZeneca vaccine, which was developed at Oxford University with UK Government funding); no triumph for capitalism there!

However, the facilities required for large scale manufacture of the vaccines are controlled by these companies, so their contribution was also vital.

Yet again, Covid-19 has shown that a sensible combination of state and capitalism is the best solution to most problems.

Relying on one to the exclusion of the other is a recipe for disaster. However, in line with Conservative dogma, Boris Johnson claims that "greed and capitalism" were totally responsible for the success of vaccine production, but his own Government’s actions prove that this was not the case.

As ever with Boris, take no notice of what he says, only of what he and his Government actually do!

Alan Jordan, Middridge.