What exactly does Gavin Williamson know?

When I first heard that our former, unlamented education secretary had been awarded a knighthood, I honestly thought that somebody was pulling my leg. Surely even this useless prime minister could not be so stupid as to so honour a man whose incompetence made Boris Johnson’s cabinet of dolts and charlatans look effective?

Then the penny dropped. Courtesy of his former role as chief whip and master of the dark arts, Gavin Williamson knows where the Tory bodies are buried. Even this useless minister had his value, if only in helping to save his master’s political skin.

Yet again we see the values at work in this government. Johnson’s political survival comes before the country every time.

Patrick Moore

Norwich

Arise, Sir Gavin Williamson, knighted for serial incompetence and loyal service to the prime minister. Since, we are told, rather distastefully, that “he knows where the bodies are buried”, the honour will guarantee his compliance so that, rather than exposing Boris Johnson for what he is, he will simply shut up and go away. The question remains: what exactly does he know?

Graham Powell

Cirencester

There is much derision about Gavin Williamson’s knighthood among those of us with any sense of decency left in this country.

That our political elite sees justification in such an honour for Mr Williamson, or should I say Sir Gavin, rewarding incompetence, not only reflects badly on them, but dishonours the monarchy as well. The Queen should never have allowed herself to be manipulated into putting her signature on such a recommendation. It puts her position, not to say validity, into serious doubt.

What this country needs urgently is proportional representation so we can, finally, call ourselves a democracy and to wheel the monarchy into oblivion.

Gunter Straub

London NW3

The Russian Football Union has protested against its exclusion from international competitions, saying that it believes that Fifa and Uefa did not have a legal basis when deciding on the removal of Russian teams. Someone should explain to these blinkered fools that Vladimir Putin and his Kremlin thugs did not have a legal basis when deciding to attack an independent peaceful democratic sovereign nation that was no threat to them.

Sam Boote

Nottingham

Given that the Conservative Party has received £2m in donations from Russian sources, surely the only decent thing for it to do is to donate £2m to relief for Ukrainian refugees?

Felicity Pollard

Isle of Mull

I remember the reply of a gunner when asked how could he shell such a beautiful city as Sarajevo: “If we can’t have it, then neither can they.” Goodbye, beautiful Kyiv.

Vincent Ryan

Edinburgh