Boris Johnson cant even get letter writing right: a guide for the PM
Following his latest defeat in the Commons on 19th October Boris Johnson was required by law to write a letter to the EU asking for an extension to the date Britain plans to leave.
He was simply required to write a brief letter stating just that. Instead he wrote three, waffling on about his personal opinion, which was irrelevant to the process.
He also didn’t sign the extension letter a convention which may have been significant when he was at Eton but matters much less in the world of e-mail. It is usually obvious who sent a letter electronically and if it isn’t its likely to be dodgy
So what are the key elements in my view of a good letter?
1] Brevity. There is more and more to read and attention spans may be shorter
2] To the point. Not quite the hook of a stand-up comedy line but the letter needs a central focus
3] On one issue. 1+2 together mean that keeping to one issue in one letter is important although your point could be that several issues are connected
4] Humour: not always appropriate but a light hearted touch can reach places more apparently gravitas laden pronouncements sometimes don’t.
and of course regular practice makes perfect (ish)
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