Peter Rhodes on sexism in Shakespeare, more baby talk and where should the buck stop now?

A few days ago I complained about unnecessary “nursery talk” (tummy, poo, etc) in a letter from the NHS. A reader writes: “Having been a biology teacher for my entire teaching career, and despite my very best efforts, I can assure you there are many adults who do not know that poo is faeces and abdomen is tummy.” I stand corrected.

No-one should condemn BBC political pundits such as Nick Robinson and Laura Kuenssberg for calling Boris Johnson to account over his Jimmy Savile slur against Keir Starmer. But remember that the organisation which supported, employed, promoted, cherished and enabled Savile to become a rampant sex predator was not the Crown Prosecution Service. It was the BBC.

The daily Covid infection figures are to be dropped from April. Not before time. Two years into the pandemic, you'd think the sums would be at least moderately accurate. Last week, if we believe the figures, 51 people died on Monday but 534 on Wednesday. Lies, damned lies and statistics.

In a new school-teaching programme, the Royal Shakespeare Company aims to reveal racism, sexism, colonialism and toxic masculinity in the Bard's plays. According to a report this week, for example, The Tempest is riddled with “violent colonial implications” because the new arrival on the island, Prospero, imprisons and mistreats the resident monster, Caliban. Boo, hiss.

But hang on a moment. According to the text, Caliban had tried to rape Prospero's daughter, Miranda, and regrets not making her pregnant, snarling at Prospero: “Thou didst prevent me, I had peopled else this isle with Calibans". Prospero may be a colonialist but on the issues of safe spaces, bestiality and a woman's right to consent, he's definitely on the right side of history. Which is more than you can say about Queen Titania shacking up with a donkey. Neigh, neigh and thrice neigh . . .

Much of the pain and embarrassment suffered by Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer can be traced back to the famous sign on President Harry S. Truman's desk, accepting all responsibility for whatever happens: “The Buck Stops Here.” I am pleased to report that the online auction eBay has a number of items, including T-shirts and baseball caps, thoughtfully engraved: “The Buck Starts Here.” A maxim for our age.