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Act to end this robbery

The call made by Vicky and Lors for people to support the demands of the Royal College Of Nursing in their dispute with the Government should be whole heartedly and actively supported by all of us.

They open their letter by saying, “It is not often that nursing staff feel the need to get involved in politics.”

This is the secret to why the Government feels confident it can get away with cutting and privatising the NHS and squeezing the long exploited hospital staff. They calculate on people remaining passive.

The fact is nurses and, for that matter, all working people, have enormous power to change things for the good if only they realised it.

I worked in the NHS in the 1980s under the atrocious regime of Margaret Thatcher. There were continual campaigns by health workers and users against cuts.

Strikes wouldn’t work we were told because they didn’t hit the pockets of the rich. Then there was a wave of strikes, led by nurses and Thatcher was forced to stump up extra cash. (So much for “not for turning.”)

The sight of nurses in uniform being stopped from marching on Downing Street by ranks of Metropolitan police amounted to a political crisis for the Tories and they (temporarily) caved in.

Nurses must get involved in the politics of collective action, as must the rest of us, or we will continue to be robbed.

PETER SMITH, Woodside Avenue, Swindon

Stop crazy drivers

AS A Road Safety Practitioner, I gather that, even with new legislation, drivers are still using their mobiles and risking points on their licences and fines.

Is that enough? People say ‘Fine them more heavily and/or ban them.’ Some say ‘Send them to prison, that’ll teach them.’ Where do we go from there? Send say, 10 offenders to prison at maybe about £40,000 a year, times 10 and that is £400,000.

That is a minor calculation, so it is more expensive to imprison the offenders on that basis.

What should we be doing? Heavier fines say, £1,000 for a first offence and/or a ban.

That would probably not be equal to other offences and the penalties thereof.

If offenders were banned, the do gooders and those clever barristers would be saying: ‘This gentleman has an exemplary record and to ban him for this offence would harm him and his family financially, as his job would be lost.’

Well, so would the person or persons who he had killed and their families would suffer a lot more from the loss of their loved ones.

Where does the function of the brain and common sense come into this? It doesn’t because the offenders know better.

We need to do more now to stop this crazy and possibly deadly practice.

CHRIS GLEED (FAIRSO), Proud Close, Purton

Listen to the experts

AS GREAT Britain, the greatest country in the world, for all its faults, blunders from one crisis to another, let me make a salient point to the so-called leaders of our nation.

Before the nightmare of Iraq and Afghanistan the late actor Omar Sharif stated publicly that the Middle East nations are by birth and genes non-democratic, as they are tribal.

Why did no one listen to these wise words, from a native of that culture. Are you listening Mr Blair and accomplices?

In the same context, I could have advised Prime Minister May that I am delighted that Northern Ireland, part of the UK being given added funds.

But the amount is not as much as the seditious Sturgeon has demanded. Her main aim is to break us up, and I am a Scotsman born and bred, with centuries of Scottish genes.

She should have realised that the DUP Party would never have opposed her and allowed that IRA sympathiser Corbyn to ever put his sandals and socks over the threshold of 10 Downing Street.

I have visited Northern Ireland and have been shocked by the atrocities that linger on in the memories of the citizens at their loss of friends and relations through anarchy against the state - the hand that secures and feeds them.

BILL WILLIAMS, Merlin Way, Covingham, Swindon

Give us vote on Scots

I READ that Nicola Sturgeon is still bleating on and on about a new referendum for the population of Scotland to see whether they want to remain part of the United Kingdom.

If the referendum goes ahead this will be the second occasion that Scotland has been given this chance to stay or go.

What I would like to know is where is the referendum for the people of the UK? Surely if the Scottish have the right to consider shall we stay or shall we go we also have the right to vote on whether we want them to stay or go.

But if they do decide to go, then let them go in every sense of the word. Let them fund themselves and stand on their own feet and not be independent in some things but still want us for cash subsidies and bail-outs.

STEVEN BLANCHARD, Woodstock Road, Coleview, Swindon

Changes are reckless

IT’S AN obvious question to ask why is Government so keen to have energy consumers fitted with smart meters?

One has doubts of the benefits of having these installed in our homes.

Again, it is part of the obsession of the previous Labour and Coalition Governments with climate change to such and extent as to have a Minister of Energy And Climate Change.

This obsession with halting climate change maybe more than an expense to consumers, which hobbles manufacturing, but in the instance of the cladding of high rise flats to improve their energy efficiency it is actually recklessness bordering on insanity.

NOEL GARDNER, Carlisle Avenue, Old Town, Swindon