Is Boris Johnson’s newly combed hair of political significance?

On his way to Cop26, Boris Johnson seemed to discover how a comb works, as at the conference and the last two Downing Street press conferences, his impersonation of a blond Ken Dodd has been abandoned.

Is there any significance to this? Is he trying to distance himself from the tousle-haired buffoon associated with sleaze and instead present himself as a serious politician?

I’ll be watching the next PMQs and future appearances with interest to see if the new look is reserved for occasions where he has control of the script, or is an attempt at a permanent change of image.

My marketing friends would warn him about messing with the brand, a dangerous strategy that risks falling between two stools and could leave him appealing to nobody.

John Simpson

Ross on Wye

In our attempts to shame our MPs into ditching Boris Johnson, let’s not forget the voters who, knowing full well his lapses of judgement, integrity, honesty and competence, still voted for him.

What are our politicians supposed to take from this? That a clown is welcome to run the country? The voters may eventually desert him, but can they be surprised at the low calibre on offer in way of replacements, when they have rewarded this individual with an 80-seat majority?

His bizarre ascent may well inspire our next generation of dubiously talented MPs.

Lynn Brymer

Ashford

It is reported that the business secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, has now apologised to the standards commissioner, Kathryn Stone, for suggesting she should resign, and has indeed conceded his comments might have broken the Ministerial Code.

I wonder if he is now ready to apologise for other occasions when he seems to have breached the regulations, for example when he accepted gifts from investors in the fossil fuel industry in the 2019 election campaign? Kwarteng was the energy minister at the time.

Rev Andrew McLuskey

Ashford

The candidate-led jobs market is continuing to thrive – that much is clear from yet another month of increased employment. The number of employees on the payroll now far exceeds pre-pandemic levels, demonstrating the continued recovery of the market from the impact of coronavirus.

This increase is significant given the continued rise in job vacancies, which has reached a new record of almost 1.2 million in August to October. Not only does it indicate a fierce competition for talent, but it also meets employee expectations of the job market’s recovery.

Recent research from the Adecco Group found that well over half (61 per cent) of UK office workers expected companies to hire in significant numbers within the next year. Companies looking to meet their workforce requirements are continuing to invest in their employee value proposition, to stand out against the competition.

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As demand continues to outstrip worker availability, businesses will need to take a hard look at the initiatives that matter most to current and prospective talent. Investment in flexible working, staff wellbeing, and career development opportunities will not go unappreciated.

Niki Turner-Harding

Senior vice president, Adecco UK & Ireland

The government has reneged on the triple lock promise, mishandled a pandemic where more than 100,000 people died, and squandered cash including £37bn on the test and trace fiasco. It’s time to scrap parliament.

With expenses scandals, and MPs abusing public office positions and withholding key reports over the UK’s lack of preparedness – this parliament is unfit to serve the people.

Stuart Wilkie

Kings Lynn