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Tell me secrets Theresa

THERE are many elderly citizens of this disunited kingdom, former “ordinary working people” who, like me, planned for their declining years with whatever systems and resources were from time to time made available to them.

In my own case I was forcibly inducted into HM Forces (National Service) and for two years earned only a fraction of what had been my pay previously.

I was made redundant twice between 1962 and my eventual retirement but my wife and I had still managed to put both our children through university.

Now I am told that “young people struggling to manage” must be given priority over the estimated 1.6 million people aged 65 or over in the UK (Mid 2015 Population Estimates UK Office for National Statistics, 2016).

These people as a group have done nothing wrong, simply grown old and now our 60-year-old Prime Minister wants to means test them before they are given the Winter Fuel Allowance in future.

Once that is agreed what next? Means Tested State Retirement Pensions perhaps?

Well here’s an idea Theresa, if you want to know every detail of my dwindling assets, so that some faceless “ordinary working person” can decide if I am allowed to use my central heating next winter I’ll show you mine if you show me yours!

After all, the tax that some of the retired elderly and infirm pay on their private or company pensions, paid for out of their past earnings as ordinary working people, are paying your salary, so they have as much right to know all your financial secrets as you have to know theirs.

TERRY FLINDERS, Upper Stratton, Swindon

Exports are answer

THIS is a very simple question. Is Britain getting richer by the day or poorer by the day?

If an individual was borrowing money and getting deeper into debt we would all agree that person was getting poorer. The same logic applies to the finances of a country.

Britain is borrowing a billion pounds a week and has done so for the last seven years. The National Debt has doubled since 2010 and is rapidly approaching £2trillion.

It is a sad thing to say but with every day that goes past Britain is getting deeper into debt and therefore is getting poorer.

The solution is a very simple one. Britain must stop running a trade deficit.

British manufacturing industry must be supported by the Government to create more wealth and imported goods coming into Britain must be controlled.

This is perfectly legal under International Monetary Fund Law because Britain has the worst trade deficit in the developed world and such action is considered allowable in an emergency situation.

The facts are very simple. The only way to create wealth and to start to reduce the National Debt is via increasing exports.

STEVE HALDEN, Beaufort Green, Swindon

Why no death penalty?

I TAKE no pleasure in the death of any human being on our planet but I must admit there are some exceptions and one is the death of the child murdering monster, namely Ian Brady. He has finally been sent to face his maker at the age of 79.

His death poses a serious question. Why was he not hanged, together with his accomplice Myra Hindley? Female children are told not to talk to strange men. Hindley abused that privilege as a women to entice their victims to torture, sexual abuse and finally murder, while recording it at the same time.

Apparently she died of lung cancer due to her heavy smoking habit.

Correct me if I am wrong, is smoking not an expensive pleasure? Who funded that one? I doubt she was earning any income in an HMS prison.

This brings me back to a serious point. Not to mention Sutcliffe the mass murderer who terrified the north of England for years and who is still receiving instant medical care while we all wait two weeks for a doctor’s appointment.

Who voted for these decisions in a so called democratic society? Who voted for mass immigration onto our small island? Who voted for the abolishment of capital punishment for child murderers?

Who voted for a change in our light bulbs? Who voted for our great nation to become nodding donkeys to the European Disunion?

Our elected members of Parliament, thank you sirs. They are voted in to represent public opinion, but the Brexit vote proved their failures.

BILL WILLIAMS, Merlin Way, Covingham, Swindon

Take the NHS offline

THIS problem of the hacking of the NHS information systems could be resolved by each user site becoming offline.

Local area networks could be used in hospitals and GP surgeries and data between these local sites could be transferred using super memory super sticks to link individual hospitals and GP surgeries.

These could be kept up to date using human messengers to transfer information via super memory sticks.

Hence the whole system of the NHS data would be shielded from opportunistic hacking.

I believe this could be quite achievable.

NOEL GARDNER, Carlisle Avenue, Old Town, Swindon

Who are these people?

THERE are regular references by politicians to “ordinary working people.”

This suggests that there are other type(s) of working people and it would be interesting to know what they are.

Possibly they are related to the “hard-working families” whom we also encounter quite frequently in the press.

GEOFFREY RICHARDS, Ashton Road, Hilperton, Trowbridge