Shropshire Star

Cathy Dobbs on coincidences and loyalty to Boris

I love coincidences – such as the names of our female prime ministers. Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May have the same initials, but what about Liz Truss? Well her first name is actually Mary, while Elizabeth is her middle name. If she became prime minister we would have another female leader with those ‘MT’ initials. So, if you have a young Matilda Thorne or a Tessa Mason in your family maybe start preparing them now for, what has been called, the best job in the world.

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When it comes to the best job in the world, it looks like Boris could still be in with a chance of being prime minister. When 15,000 people were recently surveyed, 85 per cent of them wanted Boris back. There is also a petition ‘to give the Tory faithful a vote on whether to accept Boris’s resignation’. But what did Boris do to have achieved this loyalty – even from people that previously voted for the opposition? If you only listen to Twitter and the mainstream media then Boris was a party animal that overlooked the actions of disgraced Tamworth MP Chris Pincher. However, if you use your own judgement you will see that Boris not only delivered on Brexit, but used our new-found freedoms to ensure we had a world-beating Covid vaccine programme that saved lives. Have we forgotten how we were the envy of the rest of Europe that didn’t get their act together on the vaccines? Add his backing of Ukraine to the list, while we watched other leaders dither, and it’s easy to see why he still has a loyal following from those that don’t just swallow everything they see on TV.

I’m so disappointed with the journalism I see on TV that I’m even more in favour than ever before of newspapers. It seems that newspapers are not only good at keeping you informed and up to date, but new research shows they are actually good for your brain. A new study has been published which shows reading a newspaper can give you the thinking skills of someone 13 years younger, and can stave off dementia. It’s like the equivalent of Botox and a facelift for the brain – just without all the pain and expense. So, to all you clever readers out there with your young, fit brains give yourself a pat on the back – you deserve it!

Lastly, talking of coincidences, on my last visit to Wolverhampton Racecourse, we had a meal and agreed that all winnings from the night would go towards paying the drinks bill. At the end of the night we counted up the cash in the middle of the table and it came to exactly £68.45 - and the bill for the night was £68.45. Needless to say, my flabber was well and truly gasted!