Letters - November 15, 2019

So Boris Johnson has announced a visa scheme to enable overseas doctors and nurses to work in the UK.

Pity he didn’t talk to a few student nurses to find out why there is a shortage of nurses from the UK.

Britain is supposedly a rich country, it shouldn’t plunder health staff from other countries.

In training, nurses had a bursary, not a student loan, reflecting the fact that nursing students worked as part of their training.

It also encouraged promising young people to enter nursing.

Former Chancellor George Osborne stopped bursaries. Student nurses now rely on loans like other students so, when on wards, they are effectively working for nothing.

What shoddy treatment!

Conservative claims to restrict immigration whilst developing fancy visa schemes are hypocrisy of the worst order.

Instead of dreaming up fancy visa schemes, the next Government should reintroduce the bursary scheme to encourage young people into the Health Service.

It would be a simple measure providing a home-grown solution to NHS staffing problems.

Roger Backhouse

Address supplied

Politics

Fears of Russian influence in election

‘Shameful’ was the word used by a leading US politician to describe the Conservatives’ decision to block publication of the report into Russian influence in UK politics.

There is no doubt that, if the finger pointed to the opposition Labour Party, it would be splashed all over the front pages as the Government rushed to publish.

US President Donald Trump is no stranger to Russian interference in Western democracies and US investigators have revealed the extent of Russian meddling in US politics.

The Russian TV media, under strict control of Putin (pictured) and his cronies, now jokingly refer to Trump as ‘our Donald Ivanovich’. Of course, Trump also wants to meddle in British politics too.

The informal deal between Johnson and the Brexit Party was dubbed the ‘Trump deal’ after the US President urged the creation of their alliance.

This Russian interference in the US elections included a cyber raid on the offices of Trump’s Democratic Party opponents. Perhaps it is just a casual coincidence that the Labour Party suffered a huge cyber attack on their HQ, seemingly an attack which originated in Russia and Brazil.

The Tory Party’s funding by Russian oligarchs is well known. But Farage too has been one of the leading European political contributors to RT or Russia Today, the propaganda sheet aimed at the heart of European democracies.

Putin’s interference in European democracies appears to go beyond social and news media trolling to include developing links with extreme right wing parties across the continent.

This serves his apparent purpose of divide and rule.

I’m a proud British elector getting very worried about whether our elections will be truly independent of outside interference, meddling and money by the Trump-Putin axis of weasels.

Bill Matthews

via email

Appeal

Donate to animal charity at Christmas

As minds turn to Christmas and presents, I’m calling on animal lovers to consider donating to help needy pets this year rather than buying mismatched gifts that will only end up gathering dust in a family member’s cupboard.

Many pets will still be waiting for their forever homes at Blue Cross’s rehoming centres this Christmas, while poorly pets will be being treated and cared for at the pet charity’s animal hospitals.

I recently rehomed my wonderful toy poodle Bobby from Blue Cross and have seen first-hand the great work the teams do to ensure the pets are loved and well cared for.

This year please donate to Blue Cross and help give pets in need moments that matter this Christmas by visiting www.bluecross.org.uk/christmas-news or text Moments to 70557.

Diane Morgan

Blue Cross