I AM sure that I am not the only person fascinated by the BBC TV programme Who Do You Think You Are. Some while ago this programme featured our newly-elected Prime Minster, Boris Johnson.

It was then revealed that Boris was descended from ‘Poor Fred’, that is Frederick Prince of Wales, eldest son of King George II. Fred was hit on the head by a cricket ball and died in 1751 and never became king.

Now the interesting part is that Fred was the great grandson of Sophia, Electress of Hanover. Sophia was the granddaughter of James VI of Scotland. James was descended from Walter the hereditary high steward of Scotland who married Marjorie Bruce, granddaughter of Robert I of Scotland i.e. Robert the Bruce himself. He was the very man the Scots revere when they sing Flower of Scotland: the man who sent proud Edward ‘hame tae think again’ and who watched the spider try and try again.

So a descendant of Robert the Bruce is now Prime Minister of our United Kingdom. Is this not something that Scots should be proud of and perhaps even celebrate a little instead of constantly wingeing on about independence.

Isn’t it time for them to give Boris a chance?

Brian Johnson, The Village, Earswick, York

We’re turkeys who have voted for Christmas...

Turkeys voting for Christmas has a rather nice analogous ring to it. However, I strongly suspect that the real danger to the strength and integrity of England comes not from the actions of her lemming-like fowls but from the Irish voting for a unity and the Scots voting for a division.

Ironic indeed if our fat, self entitled little lion cub was consumed by a lean and hungry Celtic tiger.

Richard D Bowen,

Farrar Street, York