Letters: November 25, 2016

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

Safety net has holes

ONCE upon a time, not so long ago, (and this is no fairy tale!), the public services provided a safety net for those who, for whatever reason, could no provide these services for themselves.

Now, the safety net has large holes in it and too many people are falling through.

The NHS exists to provide healthcare to those who cannot afford it themselves.

Now there are long delays in getting to see a doctor (in general practice or hospital) for a diagnosis, let alone treatment – especially for those with mental illnesses.

Social Services are under such pressure that many people who need care are either unable to get any, or are getting less than they need.

There is too little social housing and there are virtually no council owned houses available at an affordable rent.

The benefits system has become too complicated and is failing to provide support for those who need it most.

The emergency services – police, fire and ambulance – are all under severe pressure resulting, sometimes, in delays many consider unacceptable.

All these services have the same problem. There is a shortage of front line staff (who are now difficult to recruit and retrain); there is too much bureaucracy; and there is too much interference from above – QUANGOs and politicians (both local and central).

Are we happy to accept the present state of the safety net?

Do we want to see it repaired, or even replaced by a new one?

Whatever your views, I urge you to let your elected representatives (MPs or local councillors) know what they are; they need to know the opinions of their constituents.

MALCOLM MORRISON

Prospect Hill, Swindon

....

Songs tell us a story

IN reply to that delightful lady, Mandy Barry-Cades, (Adver Nov 22) I have decided after writing two tongue in the cheek letters regarding prominent personalities on Strictly Come Dancing and acting in the old films, to now finish the trilogy.

I have decided to hold a karaoke in my garden shed. Here are the invites and their song sheets:

Mark Carney: The Last Saskatchewan Pirate, by Arrogant Worms, (honest, check it out); Canadian Idiot, by Weird Al Yankoviz and Money For Nothing by Dire Straits.

Mr Juncker: I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down, by Elvis Costello; Collective Failure, by Weak Aside; Maggot Brain, by Funkadelic.

David Cameron: Best Mistake, by Arian Grande; My Own Worst Enemy by Lit; Run Away, by Del Shannon.

George Osborne: World’s Worst Loser, by George Jones; Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before, by the Smiths; Wave Goodbye, by Chris Cornell.

Theresa May: Deadline, by Blue Oyster; Indecision, by Steve Page; On Your Way, by Alabama Shaker.

The European Union: Pacify Her, by Melanie Martinez; Can’t Say Goodbye, by Josh Gracin; I Will Be Missing You , by Puff Daddy.

Nigel Farage: Nothing Is Going To Stop Us Now, by Starship; Simply The Best, by Tina Turner; Winning, by Santana.

Finally, The Brexit Diehards: God Save The Queen; Rule Britannia; Land Of Hope And Glory.

I hope I have made my point to all in a jocular manner where my song sheet is coming from. Conjoined with another 17.4 million,

BILL WILLIAMS

Merlin Way

Covingham, Swindon

....

Question of 5G logic

WHERE is the Government’s logic and our own Swindon Borough Council’s logic in shelling out vast amounts of tax payers’ cash – £1bn from the Government and £400,000 from SBC given to contractors plus the £750,000 from the last lot, which just disappeared, to install 3G and 4G? Now a privileged few are getting 5G. Me, I was lost at 1G.

If you get 5G you can download a whole series of a box set in under one minute. What I cannot get my head round is why?

Surely the way to go is put all this work out to tender to lots of contractors to install the network at their cost.

Whoever wins the contract to install then sells the product to whoever wants to download a box set in under a minute – not me for sure – then the contractor gets his money back by renting out a service to whoever wants to buy it.

All the risk is then on the contractor and not the tax payer to fund another failure.

JOHN L CROOK

Haydon Wick, Swindon

....

Pavement parking plea

ON my travels around the town by car and to and from my office in West Swindon by bike, I’m appalled at the number of motorists who now use the pavements as a place to park their vehicles.

A lot of vehicles park half on half off or fully on the pavement.

This epidemic is getting worse all over the town. For example, you can go down Commercial Road and you will see cars parked fully on the pavement when there is a car park around the corner.

I’ve reported it to the council yet nothing is done about it.

The pavements are being taken over by cars. There is no consideration for pedestrians, especially those who are disabled or wheelchair users. I’ve seen instances where the only way to get by is to go into the road.

How inconsiderate and selfish is that on part of the person whose car it is.

They clearly have no family or friend who is disabled either physically or impaired with sight problems. If they did, they simply would not do it.

Please let pedestrians have their entire footpaths back and make car users park fully on the road.

This town is becoming dangerous for pedestrians and an eyesore as grass verges are destroyed by vehicles. It has to stop.

ALAN WILSON

Shapwick Close, Swindon

....

Bike danger rebuffed

I ATTENDED the Cenotaph Remembrance Ceremony this year and was pleased to see a good turnout, including the local police force.

But even a ‘Sleeping Policeman’ would have been more alert than the one that I encountered.

As I awaited proceedings a cyclist appeared, weaving his way amongst the attendees, totally oblivious to the danger he was causing to himself as well as the pedestrians he was passing.

A nearby police officer was watching the proceedings and I pointed out the danger of this act to him, I was greeted with a jerk of the head as though he was suddenly aware of his surroundings, and watched the cyclist go past.

Stepping forwards I asked: “Should that be allowed?” and was greeted with a wave of the hand and an abrupt: “Carry on sir.” He might as well have said “ON YER BIKE MATE”

Does PC now stand for Pedestrian Councillor ?

To that officer, I salute you. But I guess you would miss it or ignore it.

Carry on constable.

STEVE JACKSON

Kent Road, Swindon

....

Make Leave happen

IT’S been months now since the British people voted to leave the EU. It was nothing less than a declaration of independence.

Yet for all the talk at Westminster, all the ministers appointed, all the ringing declarations that ‘Brexit means Brexit’, nothing has happened.

We now have to make Leave happen. Then we can seize the opportunities opening up and make a success of independence.

To do that we have to recreate the energy, spirit and drive of the campaign for a Leave vote.

Every day’s delay in handing in formal notice to the EU is another day of subservience to Brussels.

Britain will never be free of the dead hand of the EU until we scrap free movement of labour across national boundaries.

We must control our borders, and a responsible government should ensure now that we have the resources to do that.

We should be training and finding jobs for our own young people and unemployed workers, not stripping other countries of their workforces and lowering wages across industries.

If the EU won’t let Britain trade with it, that will be the EU’s funeral. It exports far more to Britain than we do to it.

But we cannot live with a market that insists on the free movement of labour and bans support for Britain’s vital industries.

Nor can we live with a market that insists on billions of pounds of contributions as the price of admission.

We should stop tendering contracts across the EU that will last beyond Brexit.

We should create a National Investment Bank to invest in growth. We should plan now for the rebuilding of Britain.

The discussion is trapped in Westminster. It must come back where it belongs, to the workplaces, streets and communities of Britain.

Those who took part in the campaign for a Leave vote must come together again, joined by those with a genuine respect for the result and a will to move Britain forwards.

The referendum decision was clear. Now let’s win the fight to implement it.

Demand action, not words. Send the message to politicians: Get on, get out!

WILL PODMORE

Clavering Road, Wanstead,

London