Letters - August 30, 2016

Weapons

Step forward in banning weapons

It was joyous to read that the United Nations disarmament talks concluded in Geneva with an overwhelming majority of nations signalling their intention to launch negotiations next year for a global ban on nuclear weapons.

One hundred and seven nations including in Africa, Latin America, South East Asia, the Pacific; including several in Europe united together to convene a conference next year to outlaw nuclear weapons. The United Kingdom however continues to boycott talks. The international campaign to abolish nuclear weapons has pledged to continue pressurising the government to attend.

Pressure is to be applied by the International Campaign to abolish nuclear weapons. (ICAN). The campaign has been working for seven decades to rid the world of weapons of mass destruction. Now it appears that recommendations of the working group, the UN General Assembly will adopt a resolution this autumn to establish a mandate for negotiations on a ban on nuclear weapons in 2017. The group adopted its final report by vote. The report recommends that a conference be held next year to negotiate “a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination”.

It is inspiring to everyone who denounces the development of nuclear weapons. The governments dogged determination to renew Trident, when so many nations have committed to the global struggle to end the development of these destructive missiles and leave forever the mad house that created them in the first place is lamentable. Following the breakthrough however it is disappointing, that Britain stands outside the agreement and continues to boycott negotiations. Inevitably this denies us of the chance of supporting one of the world’s most important humanitarian causes.

Nuclear weapons remain the only weapons of mass destruction not yet prohibited under international law, despite their inhumane and indiscriminate nature. The proposed ban would address this legal anomaly.

Marjorie Nye

Knowle Avenue

Blackpool

Compensation

Ex-services to get sufferers payout

As of April 11 2016, former members of the UK armed services diagnosed with mesothelioma on or after December 16 2015, are to receive a compensation lump sum of £140,000. That’s great news....

But hang on a minute.... £140 grand in the bank account is very attractive to the accountants of about 90% of Local Councils. Yes sir! When the affected are taken into care, I expect the compo will go the same way as the compo given to squaddies for limbs lost in action (and other problems). It will be used to pay for their care.

Keith Hallam

Blackpool

Terror

Clamp down on hate preachers

At last the most hated Muslim in Britain Anjem Chouderey is going to jail for his hate preaching against the West and all religions except Islam.

This is the man who has never had to work but has lived off very generous benefits provided by the Infidels, the British taxpayers, although he is a qualified solicitor.

He insists that these benefits are provided by Allah. For 20 years our spineless politicians have allowed this lunatic to preach his hatred publicly, while receiving police protection. It could only happen in Britain.

Italy once had a similar Muslim preacher preaching his hatred in public, he lasted less than a week. After being arrested he was deported.

We cannot deport Chouderay as he was born and educated in Britain. That did not apply to Abu Qatada who entered Britain on a forged passport and could have been sent back immediately.

Instead it took our soft touch politicians 12 years to get rid of him, and cost the taxpayers thousands in benefits .

The same applied to Abu Hamza, another hate preacher who would probably still be here if America had not extradited him for terrorist offences.

We can only hope that Theresa May will make some drastic changes. After all she calls herself the “heir to Thatcher” – if only!

Terry Watson

Via email

Canavan

Had a chuckle at Steve’s little tales

At I have a chuckle at your little stories and just read about the glasses of water and the cost. I assume this was in Thailand as you were talking about holidays?

Please tell me you didn’t drink tap water there??!!

I have been there several times to visit my son, who lives there, we NEVER drink tap water there, only bottled, so I hope you didn’t suffer!

The story about the hotel in Leeds reminded me of a place in Manchester I stayed, with my daughter and sister. The website looked like a nice little pub and nice rooms.....oh no!

The rooms didn’t have any windows and were built around the outside of a dance floor upstairs (it looked like it anyway lol) and otherwise deserted.

We went to a concert at the MEN (as it was then) and returned to our rooms, the pub downstairs had a band on and the noise was horrendous!

I ended up phoning the pub downstairs to ask when it was going to end and was told about 2am! We were not happy!

The next morning we were even more horrified when we spotted the emergency exit was blocked with all sorts of rubbish. Thank goodness we hadn’t needed to use it! Needless to say, I reported this to the fire service on arrival home.

We learn by our mistakes!

Look forward to next week’s instalment lol!

Madeliene Cason

Via email