Letters: Wednesday, July 19, 2017

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

That’s democracy

I SOMETIMES wonder if some contributors to the letters page really understand democracy as it pertains to people choosing which party they vote for and the composition of government in the UK.

According to GA Woodward (SA 11 July) anyone who voted Conservative should hang their head in shame, on the premise that “Tory austerity policies” have created an unequal society and led to an increased use of food banks.

Many might argue that a Government which continues to borrow and spend on public services at a rate which demonstrates little if any intention to reduce the unsustainable deficit should be accused of profligacy as opposed to austerity.

It would appear that anyone who voted Conservative is tarred with the same brush as those ‘less enlightened’ souls who so foolishly voted to leave the EU and even worse according to CN Chesterman (SA 11 July) “deliberately returned to the immoral values of the depression” and for good measure the wicked Tories are responsible for the “destruction of the Welfare State” which given the amount of money allocated to welfare in its many forms, over many years, may come as a surprise to many of your readers.

Democracy relies on ‘the people’ exercising their right to vote and an understanding that every vote cast has an equal and just influence on the electoral result. Some will argue that the first past the post system is unfair on smaller parties – it almost certainly is, but that’s the type of system the British electorate has voted to use and while there is no such thing as the “perfect form of government”, it would seem other forms of government produce even less desirable results than democracy.

One of the benefits of a democracy used to be that people were allowed to have and declare different opinions without fear of persecution. Sadly we are seeing this essential freedom being eroded by the bully boy tactics of those who seek to restrict free speech, deny the right to express an alternative view and even to hold a different thought.

Politicians and others seek to identify vicariously with perceived insults and comments to the point they adopt a ‘holier than thou’ attitude and indulge in media enhancing games of shameless faux outrage.

Being on the losing side of the vote doesn’t mean everyone who voted for the winning team was right or wrong. Many voters consider the arguments, weigh up the pros and cons and vote on the basis of logic and reason as opposed to base ideology and tribal norms.

DES MORGAN, Caraway Drive, Swindon

It’s not rocket science

As much as I would like to accept Bill Williams’ (SA letters July 5th) challenge to an IQ test I must decline his offer. Not because I am afraid of losing, far from it. I decline his offer as standing up for simple values such as truth and honesty in support of democracy does not require a high IQ, or indeed any of the advanced qualifications that I hold.

It simply requires respect for truth, honesty and democracy, things that Mr Williams demonstrates total contempt for with his disingenuous remarks about ‘European Disunion’ and his false claims about a ‘return of a sovereign Britain’.

The EU is not in a state of disunion as he claims and never has been, and in fact has actually been strengthened by recent events in this country, and Britain is, and always has been, a sovereign nation. Mr Williams then goes on to claim he voted for a better future for his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

With mounting evidence of the damage that is being done to this country by the events of June 2016, such as rising prices, rising bankruptcies, falling living standards and around 50,000 people losing their jobs, that is also far from the truth.

What Mr Williams and the Leave campaign have actually done is blighted the future of our nation. Far from providing a better future for his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren as he claims, Mr Williams is in fact destroying many of the opportunities that he and his generation have enjoyed as a result of our EU membership over the last few decades. In the process Mr Williams and the Leave campaign are actually betraying not only his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, but everyone else’s!

That does not take a high IQ or advanced qualifications to understand!

ADAM POOLE, Savill Crescent, Wroughton

A civilised society?

Several citizens write letters to the Press, declaring that all State Benefits should be withdrawn from unemployed people who do not accept the job they are offered. This political view is defined as the Right Wing of the Conservative Party.

History tells us all that monasteries were founded in the 7th century, charities in the Middle Ages, the dole and OAP by the Liberal Party, against fierce opposition, at the beginning of the 20th century. Can you guess who opposed them, every step of the way?

What explanation can you offer for the fact that some citizens of the 21st century are still so opposed to the civilised standards which have been developed over a thousand years, that they cannot yet comprehend the idea of kindness, which monks once showed to the world, in the Dark Ages?

Centuries have taught a majority to have some concern for the helpless and the beggar, but these particular citizens have chosen proudly to declare their indifference and contempt for the poor, which amounts to a sentence of starvation.

Even if these unemployed citizens were drunken, drug-addicted, thieving vandals, by any rational ethical standards developed through time, that still makes them a superior sort of human being above the one who wrote the letter, who has completely condemned himself by his own act.

I already know the Iain Duncan Smith answer, that ‘We are only doing it for their own good.’ I find that wholly unconvincing. What a waste of your whole life, just to think like that.

CN WESTERMAN, Meadow Rise, Brynna, Mid Glam

Town centre despair

Mr Hiscox’s reply to Mr Kane’s letter (A Poisoned Chalice 08.07.17) does not only reflect on Swindon’s town centre but it’s the same in every town centre across the UK. Most town centres are abundant with takeaways, eating houses, empty shops, people getting drunk - not just louts out to cause mayhem but people getting a bit tipsy to have a good time.

The main point people like myself and others are trying to get across is we cannot afford for SBC to pour £5m of tax payers’ money into the museum be it from the coffers or in the form of a SBC loan from a merchant bank with vast amounts of interest to be paid, for we as a community just cannot afford to do it at this present time.

We have a population of 217.905 in Swindon - this jumps to approximately 300.000 within 20 minuites of the town centre.

Mr Hiscox says to date he has 1,700 people signed up for the Back our Bid. To me, not being a highly educated person, just from the school of life and realistic thinking, that is some 0.128 per cent of the population of Swindon, which is not even one per cent, backing the bid.

It brings me back to Mr Kane’s letter, not scathing just being realistic.

One museum in the centre of Swindon will not install a new heart in Swindon, not until Swindon is in a position to be able to afford to regenerate the whole of Swindon town centre just like every other town and city centre right across the UK.

JOHN L CROOK, Haydon Wick, Swindon

British steel is best

Britain has just ordered eight new ships for the Royal Navy to be built using 65% foreign steel.

The Type 26 Frigates are to be built by BAE Systems as part of a huge contract worth £3.5 billion pounds.

In previous orders such as the £41 billion contract to replace for the Trident submarines the EU was blamed for forcing Britain to use French steel.

But now that we have voted to leave the EU this excuse is no longer a valid reason for not using British Steel.

It is now a matter of choice and the Conservatives have once again shown their preference for using foreign imported steel.

TERRY HAYWARD, Burnham Road, Swindon

Neverending problem

I READ, with interest, the article from today’s Advertiser (17/07/2017) about how Swindon’s MPs are giving their backing to the campaign to keep pavements safe for blind and partially sighted people.

I wrote to Robert Buckland on the 1st of September 2016 regarding the parking on pavements issue in our neighbourhood.

This matter included the restrictions to pedestrians and the difficulty of driving when the road was narrowed by pavement parkers.

I was told, in his very prompt reply, that: “Enforcement is very hard, the police will not take any enforcement action unless they actually see someone having to step onto the road to get past the offending vehicle and even then, they need photographic evidence.”

I am pleased to see that the issue is once again being mentioned, but in reality will anything and can anything be done about this matter?

It still continues unabated.

MIKE DURSTON, Celsus Grove, Swindon

Magical musical

I AM writing to say that I had the most enjoyable evening last Wednesday at the Arts Centre to see Fiddler on the Roof performed by Ray Dance, Judith Sharp and company.

Ray Dance was fantastic in the title role as was Judith Sharp and all the company were very professional and all had beautiful voices.

It was as good as seeing a London production and it was nice to see Fiddler on the Roof which isn’t performed so often these days.

This was my first time to see this company and I look forward to seeing their next production.

Well done Swindon as we have so much local talent which everyone can enjoy.

MRS GLENYS HYDE, Arun Road, Greenmeadow, Swindon