Politics often boils down to pure luck and Donald Trump should already know that

Sean O’Grady might well be correct in his supposition that Covid-19 and the lack of a vaccine until after the election cost Donald Trump his presidency. Before right wingers start lamenting their incredible bad luck, they should remember that fortune breaks both ways.  

The 2008 global economic crash meant that much of Obama’s administration was spent trying to reboot the US economy, rather than addressing other fundamental issues. Had they been addressed, it is possible that Trump would not have been elected in the first place.  

Similarly in the UK, the 2008 crash gave David Cameron a reason/excuse for following a harsh austerity policy causing real hardship and preparing a receptive ground for Brexit. Equally, albeit indirectly, the same economic circumstances led to the election of Jeremy Corbyn, whose lukewarm approach to the Remain cause very much undermined its case.  

So yes, the timing of Covid proved a real problem to Trump’s re-election, but equally another unanticipated event, the 2008 crash helped Trump into power and the success of Brexit.  Fate is very fickle: politics often boils down to pure luck.

Malcolm Harris

Address supplied

I read John Rentoul's column (“Boris Johnson’s clash with the House of Lords is a strange way of negotiating with the EU”) and of course it was a “done deal” that the Lords would overwhelmingly vote against it. I appreciate the argument that these controversial clauses only come into play if a deal is not reached with Britain and the EU.

But I think this misses the mark by a country mile, because the damage has already been done to our worldwide reputation of integrity, honesty and sticking by what we have signed up to. It leaves a nasty taste in the mouth that this government will stop at nothing to achieve their intractable way. I realise it is brinkmanship, but in these actions a country's reputation can take such a catastrophic hit that it might not recover its credibility.  

The Lords do shelter former leaders, who show statesmanlike qualities in this issue, which is deeply reassuring for us citizens. Because we feel with the advent of Johnson and his cabinet allies, they have set the touch paper alight, which in the end may not be worth the efficacious deal we may or may not achieve. So this kamikaze behaviour does not even come close to the risks involved and for what it is worth, I don't think the mendacious means justifies the ends.

Judith A Daniels

Great Yarmouth, Norfolk

The health secretary may want to "inject hope into millions of arms this winter" but he can only hope to do so if the technology is up to the same standards as the science.

According to NHS England: "Vaccines are biological substances that may lose their effectiveness quickly or become potentially dangerous if they become too hot or too cold at any time, especially during transport and storage.”

Maintaining this “cold chain” of around -80C for the Covid-19 vaccine will require the use of freezers that are continually remotely monitored, as proving traceability will be just as vital.

I question whether the technology is up to the same standards as the science to store and monitor millions of vaccines throughout the cold chain from manufacturer to patient. We’re so close to being rid of this horrible disease, it would be heartbreaking to stumble at this hurdle.

Gary Bradshaw

Director of Omniflex (UK) Limited, Stockport

The statue to Mary Wollstonecraft in Newington Green has been criticised for showing her nude. On the contrary, it’s appropriate for a lady who laid bare the plight of women.

Roger Hinds

Surrey

Today I went to the library to pick up a book by John Bolton called The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir. The library has been open since Monday as the Covid-19 restrictions in Victoria, Australia, have been eased. This was the first appointment time that I could get, for a 20-minute visit as only 10 people are allowed in at any given time. I had to wear a mask and provide proof of who I was, and sanitise my hands before I got in. This may seem a bit extreme, but our state of five million people has had no new cases or deaths for 12 days so it may be worth it.

I was annoyed to see a person trying to bypass this restriction. It is not a capital crime, yet not wearing a mask could lead to people dying. There are also more people just carrying their mask rather than wearing it and there are a number of anti-Covid restriction people who refuse to wear them and then complain when they are fined. For some it is just laziness but for others it is a conspiracy driven rebellion.

Like most I find the masks annoying, but wear them as they are compulsory by law. In Victoria, with a population of five million people and masks being worn, there have been no new cases for almost two weeks. In America, with more than 300 million people and masks often not being worn, there are over 100,000 new cases a day.

I know it is a world of fake news, but this is simple – wear a mask and save lives. Please.

Dennis Fitzgerald

Melbourne, Australia

I read your article concerning “All Russian Covid vaccines are effective, claims Putin”. This statement from Putin became apparent after companies Pfizer Inc and BioNTech announced the success of their Covid-19 vaccine and how this would be administered.

Arguably, his statement stems from his drive for dominance in the competition between Russia, the US and China on the world stage.

However, is Putin trying to impress his home audience to show Russia is still a player on the world stage, or is he performing to the rest of the world?  

Is the announcement and roll out of the vaccine before it has undergone phase three testing enough to reassure the Russian population or could it prove to be more harmful than beneficial?

Martha Airey

Newcastle