It’s clear who should get the coronavirus vaccine after healthcare workers

In absolute sympathy with Alison Parker (“Lockdown lefties”, Letters). I question the government’s vaccine policy and whom we should “save”.

I too am a grandmother in my 70s, unable to see my grandchildren or children. I’m also a retired environmental health officer who also did not vote for Brexit. The government’s stated policy of vaccinating elderly people first after medical personnel and health care workers in my view is wrong and upside down.

With a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine available, after health workers it should be those who produce goods and services, probably low paid, who cannot work from home and who are the foundation of our society and economy who should be offered it. Without the food, goods and services provided by such people, as a society and economy we are nothing. For the want of a nail; shoe; horse; rider; the battle was lost!

Lesley Salter

Stockbridge

So it appears that we are more than 10 days into a second lockdown that is planned for 28 days. From where I am living, this feels very different indeed to the first lockdown as so many places are still very much open. 

A walk along my local suburb high street yesterday revealed approximately 80 per cent of the shops open seemingly having found reasons as to why they should continue trading. 

Add this to schools and universities remaining open and midweek traffic is alarmingly ignoring the constant motorway signs of “essential travel only”.

It appears that the only areas of society that are firmly closed are pubs, restaurants and independent clothing shops. I await the results of this latest lockdown with worrying interest.

Graham Fogelman

Nottingham

With the biggest Brexiteers having left 10 Downing Street and Washington, plus no deal on the table and an economy ravaged by risk and coronavirus, why is nobody suggesting that the UK stays in the European Customs Union?  

This is not the same as being part of all the complexity of the EU and it excludes fishing while including and protecting simple fast cross-border trade, and therefore jobs. Beyond the media, what is seemingly preventing groups like the Confederation of British Industry or the Road Haulage Association from seeing sense and campaigning for it, even at this late stage?

Jason Fitzgerald 

Surrey

While I admire your reporting over recent days, I think you have become sidetracked by the Dominic Cummings shambles at 10 Downing St.

It was obvious to most people outside the Westminster bubble that he was toast when he did the No 10 garden press conference in May.

To bring things back to reality now that we are away from personalities, we need to move the focus onto what damage is about to be brought about by this and what other individuals actions will wreak upon the UK economy.

The focus has been quite rightly on tariffs that will be applied to basic food items from 1 January but my own industry of construction products will not be exempt by the changes.

"Home redevelopment under the Brexit regulation deadline" doesn't seem quite so catchy when UK manufacturers of construction products find barriers to entry in Europe and European manufacturers face import tariffs to sell in the UK.

The British Board of Agrément (BBA) has been unable to show a clear way forward because the government is unable to explain how construction products will be impacted by Brexit as recently as a few days ago.

After years of debate, it seems we are not ready to take back control of the most basic building blocks of our economy even though we were told that this would be the easiest trade deal ever.

Just to avoid any doubt to any readers I will say I voted remain in 2016. I reluctantly accepted the outcome and explained to astonished European partners that I expected that it would all be sorted as far as it could be by the time the UK left the EU after the transition period.

If at this stage if the BBA are still uncertain about the situation and circumstances surrounding product certification then we really are up a creek without a paddle.

If I am wrong then  I am very happy to be corrected by someone who knows better than me.

John Maclean 

Address supplied

Talking of “bored with” and “bored of” (I was taught the former), what is John Rentoul’s opinion of “different from” and “different to”. The good nuns at my convent school taught me “different from” but “different to” is increasingly used in speech and writing while “different from” is fast disappearing. Is there a subtle difference between the two?

Rosa Wei-Ling Chang

Sheffield

I find John Rentoul’s phrase “hung up about dangling participles” rather picturesque. I have a vision of a butcher’s storeroom – participles suspended from most of the hooks and myself from another one. Was this a wind-up?

Chris Woodman

High Wycombe