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Enemy action

The Conservative party in 2010 promised to be “the greenest government ever”. Now not only have they cut funding to renewable energy sources like solid power and wind farms, they are now forcing fracking onto communities.

In New Preston Road near Blackpool people signed a petition against it in their tens of thousands. The council supported them and voted unanimously against. That should have been the end of the matter, but the Conservative government took that power away from councils and forced it onto the area anyway. The actions of this government were undemocratic and underhand.

Not only does fracking contaminate water supplies, air, and land compromising human health and the environment, it uses up millions of gallons of water, which is bad when we have a drought in summer.

Other countries like France, Germany, Ireland, and Bulgaria have banned it for good because of health, environmental, and safety concerns. The governments of those countries obviously take the environment and health seriously. This Conservative government only care about corporate interests.

I was pleased to hear those three men jailed in Lancashire were freed by the court of appeal. Laura Piddock MP for Durham North West once refereed to the Conservative party as “the enemy”. The way fracking has been forced onto communities has proved her to be 100% right.

Peter Bates, Swindon

Bunker mentality

To understand the bunker mentality of the EU it is only necessary to heed the words of the two major players, as with respect to the other 25 member states, the views of France and Germany are the views that will prevail.

According to President Macron “Britons currently living in France would become ‘illegals’ and need to apply for residency status and work permits” while his counterpart in Germany asks “How do we manage the estimated 100,000 British citizens who, in some cases have been living in Germany for years”.

It is odd that after two years these two countries are asking these questions, after all wasn’t it the EU which claimed it was shameful to use ‘citizens’ as negotiating pawns? The UK Government has already made its position on the three million EU citizens who live and work in this country – they are guaranteed the right to stay.

France and Germany are ideologically opposed to any action which will have a detrimental effect on their eco/political alliance. As for Ireland, well they won’t put a hard border between the Republic and Ulster, and nor will the UK Government. Therefore the question which needs to be asked and answered is, who will?

Des Morgan, Caraway Drive, Swindon

We mustn’t remain

No deal or deal, half in or half out, 3/4 out/in or 3/4 in/out and anything else in or out. Why is this being allowed to happen? Parliament debated triggering article 50 (to give the EU a legal notice to leave) at considerable length. The debate ended with a free vote. Out of 650 members 618 voted. Leave 494 and Remain 124, only 36 did not vote. Of the members who voted 80% Leave and 20% Remain. Of all members in Parliament 76% Leave, 19% Remain and 5% not voted. I am giving these figures to show that either those who voted did not understand what they were voting for or that they just do not care about the people of UK by their underhand means to keep us in the EU.

Article 50 gives the EU two years to conclude any negotiations but Article 228 (3) allows them to say “Leave no deal” or continue negotiations till a deal is agreed. This could be as long as the EU wants and remember that the UK is still a member in name only and has to obey all EU laws, pay in to their coffers and has no say in any debates.

The best deal the UK will get is to say “We are leaving in March 2019 and no £38 billion to you”. That would certainly put the cat amongst the pigeons. The car giants in Germany, France, Italy, Denmark and others would cause havoc as they would lose considerable income. The German banking system is in trouble and so is Italy’s. France, Portugal and of course Greece are not far behind them. No £38 billion pounds to bail them out and tide them over.

Do you still advocate remaining?

Mr D N Simpson, Graham Street, Swindon