Leonard Cohen will get us through the election despair

<span>Leonard Cohen performing at the Isle of Wight festival in August 1970.</span><span>Photograph: Tony Russell/Redferns</span>
Leonard Cohen performing at the Isle of Wight festival in August 1970.Photograph: Tony Russell/Redferns

John Crace often usefully employs Leonard Cohen lyrics, in this case Anthem (The politics sketch, 26 June). Could not all your election pieces be prefaced by a verse from Cohen, Bob Dylan or others to sweeten the dose of despair? I’m sure readers would have many suggestions.
Brian Smith
Berlin, Germany

• The motto for Rishi Sunak’s old school is “Manners makyth man”. After Wednesday night’s TV debate, perhaps he should get detention.
Norman Gowar
London

• I agree that speed awareness course leaders can be great entertainers (Letters, 25 June). I have been on three so far. Maybe they’re not so effective, though.
Andy Cook
Holmfirth, West Yorkshire

• Re pétanque being regarded as London-centric (Letters, 23 June), while on holiday in Scotland last month, we stopped at a cafe in a village near Stirling. Next to the outdoor tables was an obviously well-used pétanque court.
Barbara Thompson
Sheffield

• Re the meaning of “clout bombing”, I had Milliganesque visions of attacks by boiled puddings (Letters, 25 June). In my Northumbrian family, a clout is a cloth. A clootie dumpling is a pudding boiled in a cloth.
Marion Kuit
Kendal, Cumbria

• Interesting that Denmark is the happiest country in Europe (Britons think UK is in a bad way, but French more pessimistic, survey shows, 25 June) – a country with one of the highest tax takes among OECD countries. Maybe you get what you pay for.
John Kinder
Romsey, Hampshire

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