At the time of writing, the USA is still bogged down in the quagmire that is the Presidential election. Democrat Joe looks to be on course for eventual victory, but doesn’t appear to be making any rash or reckless claims. He’s ‘Biden’ his time.

Several leading figures have expressed concerns about the effect the US mess might have on powerful nations which aren’t democracies as we might understand the term. What sort of messages are being sent out to China and Russia for example? Are Presidents Putin and Xi Jinping relishing this example of ‘western democracy’ in action, reinforcing their brands of governance and politics? It’s ammunition for them, which is worrying.

Derek Reed, Middlethorpe Drive, York