Letters: How to squash a Speaker

No special protection

Sir: Rod Liddle’s joke that the election might be held on a date when Muslims cannot vote, thereby reducing support for Labour, has apparently led to outrage. There has been no similar outrage over your front cover (‘A vote is born’), which satirises the Christian nativity by portraying Johnson, Corbyn and Swinson visiting the stable in Bethlehem.

It should be a principle of free speech in any free society that all religions are equally subject to satire, criticism and even gentle mockery; there should be no special protection for one set of beliefs over another. In allowing satire about two mainstream religions in the same issue, you have shown admirable balance.
Peter Richardson

Amersham, Bucks

Rod’s ‘humour’

Sir: I like to think I read broadly across the political spectrum; Rod Liddle clearly likes stirring things up (‘The People’s Vote meltdown’, 2 November). But it’s not funny to laugh at minority ethnic groups on the basis of their religion. Quality comedic writing and sketches direct mockery at those who have power. But when mockery is directed at those who have less power or are marginalised, it becomes discrimination and bullying. I am Jewish and know only too well how some people who are not part of the community like to mock from the outside, and how this ‘humour’ directed at a minority group can be interpreted as condoning racism.
Victoria Hart

Sidcup, Kent

Over the edge

How to squash a Speaker

Sir: Why was the verbose, undignified John Bercow who failed to rebuke clapping and permitted MPs to refer to each other as ‘you’ (The Spectator’s Notes, 2 November), while himself patronising them as his colleagues, allowed to remain so long? The Buckingham Tories could easily have got rid of him by bringing back the old custom which allowed a major party to put up a candidate against a Speaker seeking re-election.