Letters - January 21, 2019

Theresa May’s deal is in the dustbin and the threat of a no-deal Brexit is looming - this would be catastrophic for our environment.

The world is warming.

Climate chaos is already impacting people and wildlife in the UK.

Our birds, animals and nature are in rapid decline.

And the UK would probably still be the ‘dirty man of Europe’, if it wasn’t for EU laws which improved our air quality, protected nature and prevented companies flushing raw sewage into our seas.

A no-deal Brexit will leave the UK without the environmental rules we need, and nobody to enforce the ones we do have.

Without adequate environmental protections, and a strong watchdog to enforce them, wildlife in the Pennine Moors and Mersey Estuary would be at an increased risk and Lancashire’s beaches could return to their previous sewage and pollution-filled state.

It’s only thanks to EU laws that these beaches were cleaned up and made safe for bathing.

Not only that, but political desire to get the economy moving will likely lead to pressure to lower standards to secure quick trade deals.

However they campaigned on Brexit, Lancashire’s MPs must come together across party lines to urge the Prime Minister to take no-deal off the table.

Our health and environment depend on it.

Dorothy Kelk

Central Lancashire Friends of the Earth
Craig Bennett
Chief executive Friends of the Earth

ENTERTAINMENT

Ignoring Elvis was wrong decision

I have never had much time for the BBC with its own biased agenda and waste of our licence money.

They have gone beyond the pale though with one of their latest offerings, Icons.

In the latest episode on 20th Century icons of entertainment, they have ignored the icon of that period, Elvis Presley, in favour of David Bowie.

While I admire Bowie’s work, he is basically just a gifted pop star - not the king of rock and roll.

Elvis’ debut in the mid 1950s invoked a seismic event in culture and the youth of the world and changed music forever.

At the same time he became the world’s biggest selling solo recording artist, equalled only by the Beatles who, incidentally, are also ignored and their status far outstrips Bowie’s.

In a word, unbelievable.

David

Gibbs

Address supplied

FOOTBALL

The FA Cup has lost its shine

The FA Cup has lost its magic.

The overbearing, greedy, self-indulgent Premier League jealousy guards its pompous state and is largely to blame.

It’s not helped by the fact that the so-called Champions League admits the team finishing fourth in the Premier League.

The European Cup was once truly a competition of champions.

Supporters and clubs would favour being FA Cup winners rather than being runners-up in the old First Division.

The FA Cup winner should gain automatic entry to the Champions League instead of the team finishing fourth in the Premier League.

This would instantly revive the fortunes of the FA Cup by encouraging teams to prioritise their ambitions and would increase revenues by attracting bigger gates.

Scott Andrews

Via email

BREXIT

I’m not sure if 
I’m indecisive

On Brexit, I used to be indecisive, but now I’m not so sure!

Andy Wadsworth

Via email

BREXIT

She’d be in 
poll position

Theresa May would be well ahead in the polls had she negotiated the Brexit we voted for.

Christine 
Landon

Address supplied