Letters: June 4, 2016

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Get us out of trade deal

I AM truly shocked at the content of Alex Hegenbarth’s letter concerning the NHS, there are people in his list of those who he says want to privatise the NHS who have pounded the pavements in my company delivering leaflets in the west country against the proposed TTIP treaty between the EU and the USA.

At a TTIP protest meeting in Chippenham the only political party not on the podium was the Conservatives. The Greens, UKIP and the Labour Party were all present and united against the terrible treaty.

This European Union treaty with the United States – in full Transatlantic Trade And Investment Partnership – is being negotiated at the moment in secret with officials of the EU, answering to no-one except the five presidents and the commissioners.

And, when exasperated MEPs actually got hold of copies, they were so heavily redacted as to be unreadable.

Thanks to Greenpeace we have found out in 248 pages of leaked documents that TTIP is worse than any of our original fears.

Jorgo Riss, the director of Greenpeace said: “These leaked documents confirm what we have been saying for a long time: TTIP would put corporations at the centre of policy making, to the detriment of the environment and public health.”

The Greenpeace website carries all the leaked documents, which show American corporations would be able to muscle into any member state’s health service, exploit fracking and be able to sue any member state opposing them.

This is the treaty that President Obama boasted that the UK would miss out on if we left the EU and we would in his words “be back of the queue in any trade negotiations.”

Frankly, I would be ecstatic not to be involved in this EU/USA TTIP treaty.

STUART EELS

John Aubrey Close

Yatton Keynell, Chippenham

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Take that leap of faith

AFTER the scaremongering of the In crowd’s “leap in the dark,” followed by the MPs’ prediction of doom and gloom, let’s think of the real meaning of the referendum – our island’s security laws and infrastructure.

The issues of jobs, business and money can be sorted out after the “out” votes are counted.

Then we can once again be our own nation and no EU stronghold.

I can be sure that every EU country who trades with us will not cry over our going.

Let’s face it, for 1,000 years we have been alone anyway. I’m just glad we did not change our currency.

We are an “island people” and always will be. It’s for the children and grandchildren that the result will mean the most.

I hope when I leave this mortal coil my grandchildren will be in charge of their own destiny, not some nameless people in Brussels and safe behind their own border controls.

As for the borders question? It’s obvious how open we are to any undesirables, or others to land at night on our shores.

The recent happenings in Kent is a warning over staying in. I hope the two men responsible will go down for a few years when convicted and send out a clear message to anyone else attempting the same crossing.

To vote to come out of the EU is more common sense than to remain in.

If you love your island and all it stands for, take that leap of faith and vote a resounding OUT, OUT, on June 23.

HG SMITH

Wroughton

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Sort parking nightmare

SO THE annual Festival of Remembrance has been cancelled due to various acts pulling out and the problems with car parking.

What an indictment of the whole nightmare situation. It’s nearly a year now since the footbridge from the car park to the theatre was demolished. Since then the site has been cleared, but the open air park has been fenced off.

Why can’t it be opened for use by the Wyvern in the evenings at least for disabled folk?

For fitter people there is a trek to either Gordon Gardens or Whalebridge car parks. The lift is always out of order in the first and several times people have been trapped in the second. Sometimes I have come to the Wyvern with a disabled friend, but we’ve come one-and-a-half hours early to be sure of one of the few spaces opposite the theatre. I’ve had a friend come by taxi to meet with us later. There is no pleasure in a theatre visit any more – unless it’s the Arts Centre.

How long will it take before our wonderful new museum and art gallery is actually built? Will we all flock to see it? I don’t think so.

VAL HEMMENS

Common Platt, Swindon

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Kindness of strangers

ON TWO occasions recently my wife and I have had occasion to visit Swindon and, as we have never visited previously, we found it necessary to ask passers-by and staff in shops and car parks for help with directions.

In each case we found every person we approached to be most helpful and courteous.

The assistance that we were freely given made our visits to your town a source of pleasure rather than a worry as to whether we would be able to keep our appointments at the allotted times.

Sometimes the bad news overtakes the good and for this reason we write to you to compliment the helpfulness of those who gave great assistance to two strangers to their town.

CHARLES RAND

Pershore, Worcestershire

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Sharing a love of sheds

AFTER reading Graham Carter’s column on May 30 about sheds, it brought to my mind a scene the other day when my step-granddaughter visited.

She lives in a flat without a garden. Just as she was leaving she saw the shed door open and she stood in the doorway, and drawing several deep breaths, said: “I love the smell of sheds.” So it’s not only a male passion.

JOYCE WALKLETT

Wharf Road, Wroughton