I do wish you would stop publishing Richard Drax’s column every Friday. It does my blood pressure no good at all.

His latest musings (November 27) attempt to excuse Priti Patel’s bullying of Home Office officials despite the fact that by his admission “[Sir Alex Allen] found that Ms Patel had breached the ministerial code”.

Mr Drax excuses her, however, on the grounds that the Home Office is dysfunctional. Well, there have been six Home Secretaries (including Sajid David) since John Reid found the Home Office to be unfit for purpose, and none of them resorted to bullying.

He claims that officials were “actively undermining her”: even if true (and they were probably only doing their job in trying to block her idiotic policies) then this is nothing new and one would expect politicians of cabinet rank to have the nous and skill to take on civil servants without resorting to the behaviour reported of Ms Patel.

Ms Patel has apologised: so can we all in future “unintentionally”break the speed limit and expect to get off scot-free? Or should we secure the Prime Minister’s support first?

Finally, Mr Drax credits Ms Patel with not playing the race or gender card and then promptly lays it down on her behalf.

STEPHEN MINTO

Fordington, Dorchester