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Labour on the spot

It has been shown, that over 119 MPs, mainly Labour, but also SNP and of course Greens, have signed a document which states that if they are made aware that someone in their constituency is an illegal immigrant, they will take no action to have the person arrested and deported.

Can our two Labour candidates in Swindon say if they will also sign such a document. Can they also comment on the news today, that one of the top NHS clinical officers in Wales is to move to England, in order to get better treatment for her husband. The Welsh NHS, is of course run by the Welsh Labour party.

T Reynolds, Wheeler Avenue, Swindon

Lessons not learned

Councillors and officers have excelled themselves with their latest wheeze. The creation of a Borough Council ‘at arm’s length’ housing company was intended to provide a route for houses to be built and sold for a profit, with the profits being ‘re-invested’ in the town.

It is clear this worthy aim has been set aside in favour of the far simpler role of being a seller of land to speculative builders.

The land in question is owned by the council and if they were to sell to the builders the proceeds of the sale would have to be invested in capital projects.

However, by using the services of a ‘shell company’ they are able to use the proceeds to pay for day to day services. It is a clever accounting trick but in all truth it’s a shabby way to run the council and senior members and those officers who concocted the scheme should hang their heads in shame.

This council administration has a poor record of success in commercial enterprise; their latest scheme suggests they have learned nothing from their past failures.

Des Morgan, Caraway Drive, Swindon

Keep animals safe

Halloween means spooky fun, but it also poses some truly frightening dangers to cats and dogs, so people should take precautions to make the day a treat, not a trick, for everyone.

Keep all sweets and treats out of animals’ reach, and make sure that children and guests know not to share them with animals. Many animals can’t resist sampling treats – wrappers and all – that contain toxic ingredients. Candles and carved pumpkins can cause burns and start fires, so make sure they are out of reach, too, and can’t be knocked over.

Costumed visitors can make even the friendliest animals skittish and prone to bolting or biting. Stay with your animals in a quiet room, away from the door, and ensure that they’re microchipped and wearing collars with current ID tags, just in case. Walk dogs before trick-or-treat time, and always keep animals indoors.

Costumes can impair animals’ ability to see, move, and breathe, and they pose a choking hazard. So leave dressing up to the children.

Jennifer White, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)