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It was never big enough

Your otherwise excellent Editorial Comment (SA 8th December) begins with a factually incorrect statement (at least in part); and I quote: “Not long after it opened in 2002 concerns were expressed that Swindon’s Great Western Hospital would not be big enough to cope with demand”.

Long before it opened in 2002, indeed when it was being planned, both medical and nursing staff voiced their opinions that it would be too small. But the planners and politicians chose to ignore our ‘advice’.

Malcolm Morrison, Retitred Orthopaedic Surgeon, Prospect Hill, Swindon

When is a gift not a gift?

What fantastic news that Swindon’s GWH is to receive £30 million to fund a new A&E unit plus build an intensive rehabilitation facility. But as ever we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves, as it seems GWH managers wants to spend ‘around two to three years developing the business model’ – oh and there is the small matter of the hospital having to find £15 million to help fund the works.

The people of Swindon, having raised £2.9 million towards a new radiotherapy unit will almost certainly be ‘encouraged’ to join a campaign to raise some of the £15 million.

And still the government spends £14 billion (not £14 million) of taxpayer monies on foreign aid.

Des Morgan, Caraway Drive, Swindon

What about the roads?

In the SA Tuesday December 4th the lead story was that the Swindon Borough Council are going to spend £7.2 million replacing all the street lights with LED alternatives to save money.

The council can’t even find the money to give us decent roads. Summer Street in Rodbourne is one big pothole. I don’t think there is one decent road in Swindon and yet they are going to waste over £7 million on replacing street lights. What planet is this council on? And then on the news we hear that SBC has to save £21million.

Mrs L Townsend, Redcliffe Street, Rodbourne

Proud of my record

I am sorry to see that the former Labour Councillor Derrick Bye has yet again written on December 11th about my activities in Parliament.

I am a hard-working, visible and approachable MP. I am very proud to have the opportunity to represent my fellow local residents.

I have one of the highest voting and speaking records in Parliament and this has been the case in every single year since I was first elected in 2010 – almost double that of the former Labour MP.

My office was also voted the third most helpful out of 650 MPs for supporting local residents. I take my role very seriously and I am still as enthusiastic today as I was when I was first elected.

In the 18 years I have represented Derrick both as his councillor and his MP, he has persistently targeted me both in the local media, and physically chasing me and fellow councillors in the street hurling abuse whilst we were delivering community newsletters.

Whilst I understand he has never been able to come to terms with being rejected by residents, his personal and nasty style of politics will not put off either myself, or any other parliamentary or council candidate today, or in the future.

I am grateful for the Labour activists who have repeatedly apologised for his behaviour in the past and we fully accept he no longer speaks for or represents the Labour Party in any form.

Justin Tomlinson, North Swindon Conservative MP

A huge difference

Theresa May signed up to the United Nations Marrakesh Compact on Sunday 9th Dec 2018. The Marrakesh Compact sets out new rules to facilitate easier immigration from poor countries to rich countries like Britain.

The agreement recommends that countries that have signed up to the new rules should make the campaigning for controlled immigration illegal.

These new rules will make a huge difference to what the political parties in Britain are allowed to say at election times.

Steve Halden, Beaufort Green, Swindon