Despite the fiscal crisis, the latest eurozone annual growth figure is 1.4% (Report, 3 January). That's almost three times higher than the UK's dismal 0.5%. Perhaps it's time for David Cameron to seek advice from our European allies, instead of blaming them for what is clearly his home-grown recession.
Eric Goodyer
Colsterworth, Lincolnshire
• Back in the 1980s Margaret Thatcher's chancellor, Geoffrey Howe, proposed the "managed decline" of Liverpool (Report, 30 December). On taking office in 2010, David Cameron's chancellor, George Osborne, embarked on the "managed decline" of the UK.
Pete Ruhemann
Reading
• When I was a junior diplomat at the British embassy in Moscow at the height of the cold war, I was humiliated by not being followed 24/7 by the KGB, as most of my embassy colleagues were. Now I read that at the time "MI5 was investigating more than 100 Brians" (Letters, January 2). I do hope I was one of them.
Brian Barder
London
• The readers' books of the year (Review, 31 December) came as a breath of fresh air. No ritual praising of each other's latest efforts from members of the professional club, but a wonderfully eclectic choice of reading matter. Intelligent, lively and highly enjoyable. Please do it again.
Alison Prince
Whiting Bay, Isle of Arran
• If David Jones is such a great "image man" (Mad Man of Havas just wants to be Mr Nice Guy, 2 January), why is he wearing mustard-coloured shoes with a dark suit? Chaps have been drummed out of the Bullingdon for less.
MJ McDonagh
London