Dominic Cummings has stated in his defensive blog that “It is sad to see the PM and his office fall so far below the standards of competence and integrity the country deserves” (‘Mad and totally unethical’: Dominic Cummings hits out at Boris Johnson, 23 April). Does his statement not presuppose that, in the first place, the prime minister and his office ever got close enough to the “standards” to subsequently be able to fall from them? And, Mr Cummings, on the subject of “integrity”, can you recall breaking the “stay at home” rule in the very week that your boss urged the nation to follow it, and later sat in the rose garden and explained your actions, to what you considered to be a gullible media, with an account of such fantasy and obfuscation that would have caused a 10-year-old to gape with incredulity! “Standards”, Dominic? “Integrity”? Geoffrey Fagence Oakham, Rutland • Judging that the prime minister he was advising was “mad and totally unethical”, a sane and ethical adviser would properly have resigned. Dominic Cummings now needs to tell us what he wanted to gain by staying. Mark Lewinski Swaffham Prior, Cambridgeshire • Let us congratulate Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings in retrospectively achieving a perfect working relationship in which each deserves the other. Nigel de Gruchy Orpington, Kent • For us baby boomers, the spat between Johnson and Cummings calls to mind the description in 1066 and All That of the Roundheads being “right but repulsive” and the Cavaliers as “wrong but romantic”. “Right but repulsive” fits Cummings neatly, but “wrong but romantic” makes Boris sound harmless, which he clearly isn’t – anyone suggest a better epithet for our so-called leader? Penny Munday Havant, Hampshire • Perhaps the reason No 10 has scrapped the plan for Allegra Stratton to front regular briefings (No 10 press briefings plan axed as Stratton moves to Cop26 role, 20 April) is a simple one: she is proving to be embarrassingly reluctant to continue to issue nonsense statements concerning Boris Johnson’s “ethical stance” as she previously was forced to do. I imagine she could envisage the day when she would find herself stating, like her previous US counterpart, that there are “alternative facts”. Much better leave that sort of thing to loyal ministers. Angela Barton Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire • Since Dominic Cummings has described Boris Johnson’s behaviour as “mad and totally unethical”, and Dominic Grieve has declared that he is a “vacuum of integrity”, perhaps the two of them could now turn their attention to the persistent rumour that the pope is a Catholic. Paul Dennehy Enfield, London • Can we presume that the “vacuum of integrity” is a Dyson? Ellie Cockbill Leicester • Your front-page picture in Saturday’s print edition presciently shows Dominic Cummings and Boris Johnson behind bars. We can but hope. David Davidge Odiham, Hampshire • Could Labour nominate Dominic Cummings for a seat in the Lords? James Pitt York • Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication.