Letters: Masks are important – we shouldn't put politics above health

After Boris Johnson appeared for the first time in a shop wearing a mask, Michael Gove asserted on Sunday that such coverings should not be made mandatory in shops. Last week it was “build, build, build” this week it’s “confusion, confusion, confusion”. What a surprise!

There is indeed a debate to be had about mask effectiveness. But much in the Johnson government is now driven not by science but by politics. I suspect the confusion derives from embarrassment over the clarity and leadership being seen in Scotland.

With face coverings in shops mandated and regular announcements in supermarkets reinforcing that message, the Scottish government are serious about dealing with the pandemic.