As a driver who lives near a mini roundabout and one who regularly drives in and around Allerdale, it is more than obvious that a great many drivers have no idea how to approach and behave on these roundabouts.

Too many, wrongly assume that if they are on what is presumed to be the main road, they always have the right of way.

To these people I would suggest they read the Highway Code. All roundabouts should be approached with caution. The Northside roundabout often sees incorrect lane procedures taking place.

To those drivers of an ultra-cautious nature, sitting at a roundabout until the road in both directions is totally clear is equally problematic. You are creating more hazards because of your timidity. These people should consider: should they really be driving?

Until people fully understand the correct procedures on mini roundabouts, or whatever name they go by, there will always be issues. Only today, I was coming out of Morrisons, turning left, when a woman shot across in front of me, on the straight road doing at least 45mph. Not a care in the world, totally oblivious of the roundabout and other road users. No cautious approach, just sheer arrogance and blind stupidity.

Linda Radcliffe is totally correct in her summation, “accidents waiting to happen”.

G S FAWCETT

High Harrington

Friends in high places

The current Tory government did take office at a difficult time, but their incompetence can’t be easily excused.

The Johnson government has repeatedly awarded Covid-19 contracts to companies that are not qualified to deliver the services needed. The most well-known of these is the failed (“world beating”) test and trace system supplied by Serco.

Serco has a history of failures and over-charging, so why did anyone expect it to do a good job?

Edward Argar, a Minister of State for Health, was ‘head of public affairs’ for Serco before joining the government.

A coronavirus “messaging” contract was given to friends of Dominic Cummings (James Frayne and Rachel Wolf), worth £840,000.

Some £108 million was given to a company called ‘Pestfix’, to supply surgical gowns and facemasks. Pestfix had few assets, only 16 employees and no experience in supplying medical equipment. The company had to apologise when it was found its masks were not CE-compliant.

Lest we forget, NHS staff have allegedly died because of faulty PPE or late deliveries.

Ayanda Capital, an offshore finance company with no medical supply experience, provided us with £150 million worth of unusable face masks. Ayanda has friends in government too.

The government said there was no time to offer these contracts out to tender. However, there are many medical supply companies in the UK who had offered to help.

Why award medical contracts to financial management companies? And don’t be misled, these are yet more examples of the government selling the NHS for the enrichment of their friends.

Frighteningly, this cronyism, incompetence and government failure has led us to have the third-highest Covid death rate in the world.

Apart from the money to be made from Covid, there is the £11 million given to Tory party funds by property developers in exchange for the abolition of planning laws. This will allow them to build the slums of the future – and of course increase their profits.

Russian oligarchs have also donated millions to the Tory party. The Russian billionaire, Evgeny Lebedev, arranged for his wife to play tennis with Boris Johnson, and paid £160,000 for the privilege. Mr Johnson is a frequent visitor to Mr Lebedev’s many holiday homes. Of course, they will all want something back for their generosity (‘elevation’ to the House of Lords being the start).

And let’s not forget the £53 million paid to Mr Johnson’s friends for not building a ‘garden bridge’ when he was mayor of London. And the questions remaining about a £1billion deal with London and Partners (L&P) and Chinese developers ABP during his time as mayor.

You have to ask why this is happening and how they are getting away with it. An 80-seat majority and over four years to the next election helps. We might forget some of the Covid sleaze and cronyism by 2024, but it is likely there is going to be much, much, more. Unless MPs, and the public, demand action to stop it.

ALASTAIR SHARP

Cockermouth