Sir, – Martyn Turner’s cartoon (Opinion, February 3rd) portraying the power-sharing government as Dr Dolittle’s Pushmi-Pullyu reminds me of Hugh Lofting’s original description of that animal and the advantage it enjoyed.
By having a head at each end of its body, it could talk and eat at the same time “without being rude”.
Perhaps such sensitivity to the feelings of others would be a useful attribute if it could be incorporated into Northern Irish politics. They also embraced diversity, proudly claiming to be related to “Abyssinian gazelles . . . the Asiatic chamois and . . . unicorns”.
They were hard to sneak up on or surprise as the heads at each end took turns to sleep, and so the animals were always vigilant. Ultimately there is much to commend them as parliamentary role models. – Yours, etc,
The welcome I received from Jennifer Johnston is something I will never forget
Oscars 2026: Will Hamnet with Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley get a best picture nomination?
‘My son is getting married in the summer, and the likelihood is that I’m going to be able to see that’
Is it true that women need more sleep each night than men?
BRIAN O’BRIEN,
Kinsale,
Co Cork.
