Gavin Williamson has many faults as a politician, for which he is rightly criticised. I do wish, however, that his former job as a fireplace salesman could stop being used as a term of ridicule (The politics sketch, 8 November). If more of us who do ordinary, humdrum jobs came into politics, it might make for a more balanced and representative political class. These jobs are not something to be mocked.
Tim Cowen
Whitstable, Kent
• You risked perplexing your readers when reporting that a former senior civil servant claimed that “Gavin Williamson told them to ‘cut your throat’” (7 November). May I propose that the Guardian lead the way in rejecting plural pronouns for gender-neutral purposes. For he, she and they, I suggest “zhee”. For him, her and them, may we have “thim”?
Alan Fairs
Bewdley, Worcestershire
