Dr Dolittle’s Pushmi-Pullyu

Sir, – Martyn Turner’s cartoon (Opinion, February 3rd) portraying the power-sharing government as Dr Dolittle’s Pushmi-Pullyu reminds me of Hugh Lofting’s original description of that animal and the advantage it enjoyed.

By having a head at each end of its body, it could talk and eat at the same time “without being rude”.

Perhaps such sensitivity to the feelings of others would be a useful attribute if it could be incorporated into Northern Irish politics. They also embraced diversity, proudly claiming to be related to “Abyssinian gazelles . . . the Asiatic chamois and . . . unicorns”.

They were hard to sneak up on or surprise as the heads at each end took turns to sleep, and so the animals were always vigilant. Ultimately there is much to commend them as parliamentary role models. – Yours, etc,