Letters: May 19, 2016

Anonymity is granted only at the discretion of the editor, who also reserves the right to edit letters.

Reasons to stay in EU

JOE Public continually asks for more EU information, and it is very difficult to find. There’s lots of guess work coming out of both camps with ‘ifs’, ‘buts’ and ‘maybes’.

Trawling the web I came across the details below from the Office of National Statistics. In a summary form, they claim to show the costs per day to Joe Public while we are members of the EU:

Welfare £3.64; Health £2.80; Education £1.96; State Pension £1.80; Interest on National Debt £1.40; Defence 78.0p; Criminal Justice and Crime 65.0p; Transport 43.0p; Business 40.0p: Government and Admin 31.0p; Culture and Sport 25.0p; Environment and waste 25.0p; Housing and Utilities 24.0p; Overseas Aid 16.0p.

The most interesting number is last: Contribution to the EU Budget 11.8p.

I think most people acknowledge if we live in a society we should pay our share.

To live in the UK while in the EU, costs Joe less than 12p a day.

For the hardworking taxpayer that doesn’t sound much.

So what do we get from the EU?

Freedom to move to any EU country; 3.1 million jobs in UK; consumer protection; employment protection; safety at work (looked on as ‘red tape’ by Boris); co-operation in crime and terror protection; World influence above size of UK – to list a few.

Can I point out to UKIP and BRITEX campaigners, while their numerous letters are entertaining, they contain a lot of emotional sentiments and little or no hard facts.

Leaving the EU is not a ‘one subject’ decision, we need to assess the future of the whole of Europe. We should not base our decision on the emotional input of others, look at the past to assess the future.

The 200 years of the UK have not been plain sailing, but it has, overall, been beneficial to residents; a Scotsman is still a Scot and the same can be said for the Welsh, Irish and Cornish.

Leaving the EU, a large single market has a multitude of national and international implications to which no-one really knows the answers, so they guess. What if they are wrong?

Why not stay in, and fight for a better deal from inside? Contact your MEP.

MIKE SPRY

Mayfield Close

Nythe, Swindon

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Laws look beneficial

I THOUGHT I would mention some of what the Daily Mail lists as the ‘150 EU laws ruining Britain’:

A law setting out the difference between ‘fruit juice from concentrate’ and ‘concentrated fruit juice’ which bans added sugar in tomato juice, helping to improve health.

A law making it illegal to ship a live cat, dog or ferret into the UK without a health certificate signed by a vet less than 48 hours before to help stop the spread of diseases.

A law making sure businesses keep packing material to a minimum and to try and use recycled products when possible, helping reduce the amount being sent to landfills.

A law making sure traders can prove where they sourced their timber from to help stop the cutting down of trees from endangered species.

A law limiting the amount of phosphorus used in laundry detergent to help protect our wildlife.

A law that requires labels on cod to include the scientific name and the location where caught in order to make sure certain cod supplies are not being over-fished, meaning that we can have a sustainable fish supply for future generations.

A law that labels the sea water off beaches as ‘poor’, ‘sufficient’, ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ for ‘bacteriological quality’ (i.e. sewage), with those areas only ranking as ‘poor’ being made to take steps to improve the quality of the water.

I’m not sure how the EU is ‘ruining’ Britain by improving the health of local residents and protecting our environment.

ALEX HEGENBARTH

Head of Britain Stronger In Europe,

Swindon

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Immigration figures

OFFICIAL government figures show the net immigration for 2014/2015 as 323,000. The same official government figures show the Social Security numbers issued for 2014/2015 as 630,000.

According to the government this is correct and the net immigration is only 320,000. The extra Social Security numbers issued to immigrants are not counted until they have been in work for one year. This is an EU ruling on how immigration is counted.

So according to the EU counting there is absolutely no immigration into the EU from Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, Iran or any other country.

And they can only be counted after working in the EU for an year.

So what is all the panic about? There is no immigration into the EU.

You believe whatever you want and whom you want.

DN SIMPSON

Graham Street,

Swindon

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Sad to see leader leave

AS A long-standing member of the Green Party I feel a bit sad that Natalie Bennet is not standing as Party leader again.

However, our party is against career politicians and after four years as leader she has done the right thing and is standing down.

What a great leader she has been, on her watch we increased our membership fourfold and received more than 1,000,000 votes at the General Election.

We would have had far more than the single MP If it hadn’t been for the stupid and undemocratic electoral process we were lumbered with in the 18th century.

This system gave us only one MP but gave us the most extremist UK government ever with less than 25 per cent of the electorate.

What I am confident of is, although several of us in the Swindon Green Party have expressed preferences for a different future leader we will all unite around whoever is elected.

We will not throw our new leader into a shark-infested cesspit and make hostile attacks upon them.

Of course, our leaders are a different thing from other Party leaders and express the policies of the membership and do not make up policy on the hoof like Labour and Conservative leaders, or sack anyone who they disagree with, like Farage does.

STEVE THOMPSON

Norman Road, Swindon

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Take the power back

THE EU Posted Workers Directive allows companies to send workers to Britain to work for wages that are below locally agreed pay rates.

This practice is totally legal and Britain does not have the power to stop it.

The Labour Party and the unions are trying to put a halt to this undercutting of local workers’ wages, but at present Britain is bound by EU law on this matter.

Only by leaving the EU would Britain regain the power to reject the EU Posted Workers Directive and force companies to pay all workers at the locally agreed pay rates.

STEVE HALDEN

Beaufort Green, Swindon

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Literary festival praise

THIS year’s Swindon Literary Festival has now come to a close but I would like to say a big thank you to all the folk who make this event happen every year.

With regards to literary festivals Swindon is now well and truly on the national map and this is especially due to the tireless work and commitment shown by Matt Holland.

I am sure he has a fine crew of helpers and praise goes to those people also.

Most people in Swindon are probably unaware that the town, using various venues, even has a festival like this.

Matt spends many months arranging for some of the countries finest writers and well known speakers to come to Swindon to talk on many varied subjects and it brings great pleasure to many.

So come on Adver, get behind this great event and give Matt and the festival as much publicity as possible next year.

We may end up with the most popular event of this kind in the country. That would be something for the town to be proud of.

GARY LOYDEN

Member of the Swindon Philosophical Society

n The Adver has been supporting the Literature Festival since it began and has provided daily coverage of the events – Editor

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No link to cigarettes

IF YOU look in the dictionary, Mr Blanchard, you will see that Woodbine is another name for honeysuckle.

So Woodbine Terrace near the hospital is really rather a lovely name and not related to cigarettes at all.

In the ancient National Song Book, there is a contribution in which there is a line, “When apples peep amid the leaves and woodbine scents the way”.

MAY WEBB

Pheasant Close

Covingham

Swindon

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Good to keep name

IN RESPONSE to Steven Blanchard’s letter on the May 13 about Woodbine Terrace.

Woodbine Terrace is not a new name. It is mentioned in the census of 1901 and is probably older than that.

I would rather the new housing developers keep the old names of these streets that still exist than change them.

I guessed what Steve was (tongue in cheek) suggesting, but I am sure that there is not many people today know what a Woodbine is.

GARY DARLING

Woollaton Close

Swindon

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Bard’s woodbine use

REGARDING the letter about Woodbine Terrace (SA 13/05/16).

Me thinks Mr Blanchard barketh up the wrong tree. After all, Shakespeare knew a bank “over-canopied with luscious woodbine” and it was not a cloud of cigarette smoke!

It is a moot point whether Sir Walter had even got back with the dreaded weed when the Bard wrote “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” or, more aptly in this case, “Much ado about nothing”.

BERYL SLANLEY

The Lawns, Swindon