THE debate over Brexit has dragged politics further into the gutter than anyone might previously have imagined, but it has taken Boris Johnson to bring it into the sewer.

That anyone, within hours of an attack that left two people dead, would be so crass as to appear on television (the Andrew Marr Show) and use their deaths for political gain demonstrates two truths: (a) the present Westminster system is in need of urgent reform, and (b) the current Prime Minister’s obsession with power makes him unfit for any office in government.

It is to be hoped his constituents will have the decency and moral outrage at his perverting the truth to consign him to the dustbin of history.

T J Downs, Cumbernauld.

THE broken promises, the absurd “ do or die” and “dead in a ditch” rhetoric, the false claims on the side of the bus, the figures which many of us thought fishy and which the Institute for Fiscal Studies confirm don’t add up, are all one thing; but making political point-scoring out of the heartbreaking tragedy of young lives brutally ended at London Bridge is the most despicable thing this disgrace of a Prime Minister has done yet.

Ruth Marr, Stirling.

DOES Boris Johnson’s chutzpah know no bounds?

To lay the blame for the early release of the latest jihadist to commit his savage attack on London Bridge on a policy introduced by the Labour government in 1998 is breathtakingly brazen.

Presumably he knows his party has been in power since 2010 and made serious cutbacks in police and probationary provision, which made a serious impact upon both those services to manage those out on licence properly.

Maybe he even remembers telling someone, who had informed him that a lack of finance to protect those services was playing its part in making it difficult to ensure adequate care in those areas, that there was no money available to improve performance.

It is utter cheek from him to make political capital out of this most recent attack when the answer to the problems was clear for so long, and when his party’s government failed to address them.

Now, during an election campaign, he is making a big promise to prevent any such outrage happening again.

This reeks of political opportunism of the worst sort. Is this really the kind of man we want to lead our country?

Denis Bruce, Bishopbriggs.

AS the President of the USA arrives in the UK to attend the NATO summit, there are some who believe a further endorsement by his fellow pathological liar may damage the Prime Minister’s electoral chances. (“Johnson out to avoid suffering by comparison as Trump arrives for NATO summit”- Herald, December 2).

Mr Johnson has little reason to fear any voter backlash regardless of whatever President Trump says or does on his behalf.

This Teflon-like Prime Minister and his party have been approved or supported without consequence, by various individuals whom no-one would associate with an inclusive, tolerant or equality-based society.

It appears that Mr Johnson can insult working people, single parents, racial and LGBT groups. and treat the general population of the UK with an entitled arrogance and barely concealed contempt, and experience little or no affect on his popularity or credibility ratings.

A combination of a virulent right-wing media, Brexit fatigue, the barely credible acceptance of a new Trump-style morality and the weakest Labour Party leader for a generation, all coalesce to ensure Mr Johnson will remain Prime Minister, irrespective of how transparently economical he is with the truth on a daily basis.

A masochistic electorate will vote to exit Europe regardless of the economic and social consequences and mainstream Conservatism will give way to ideological cardboard fascism under Boris Johnson.

One thing is for certain: if your conscience allows you to vote Conservative in the forthcoming election despite this being the season of goodwill, the poor will become markedly more vulnerable whilst the wealthy become richer and more distant.

I am reminded of the old Russian saying -“ fish rots from the head down”.

Owen Kelly, Stirling.

BORIS Johnson’s gesture in using the terror attack for political gain left me aghast.

If only we had a Labour leader of unimpeachable moral authority to expose Johnson for the shallow opportunist he is.

Alas, we are saddled with Jeremy Corbyn, who has no moral authority whatsoever.

D Brown, Glasgow.