Letters - October 14, 2019

Bringing us together to remember fallen
Poppy appealPoppy appeal
Poppy appeal

For more than 89 years, the Royal British Legion has supported British soldiers, sailors and airmen who have defended our country and helped to keep peace elsewhere in the world.

Many return to civilian life only to find great difficulty in re-adapting. These men and women have done and continue to do, so much for our security and our way of life and the Royal British Legion is committed to supporting them and, where necessary, their families and their dependants.

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Today, British service men and women continue to bravely play their part in peacekeeping forces in all parts of the world. When they return to civilian life, the Royal British Legion will be there for them, as it is for veterans of the world wars, the Gulf, the Falklands, Iraq, Afghanistan and the many other peacetime conflicts since 1945.

The Royal British Legion, as a charity, is entirely reliant upon public support for its funding, and The Poppy Appeal is a vital part of the Legion’s fundraising efforts. Through the Poppy Appeal, the Legion can help Service and ex-Service men and women and their dependants through times of hardship and distress.

Over the past year, the Royal British Legion has responded to more than 300,000 appeals for help and every year these numbers grow.

So long as there are British soldiers, sailors and airmen willing to risk their lives in the service of their country, there will be a Royal British Legion to support them, their families and their dependants. Your donation is vital to that support.

Please give whatever you can afford, no matter how little.

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Remembrance Day brings together the communities of our country to commemorate those who sacrificed their youth for our freedom.

Help the Poppy Appeal to help those who have given so much.

Wear your Poppy with pride!

Coun AMY CROSS

Mayor of Blackpool

BREXIT

Voted Leave - but not without a deal

I refer to Mr Carter’s letter (Your Say, October 4).

Mr Carter refers to three years of propaganda since the referendum but it has been going on for far longer than that.

A very useful independent website ( fullfact.org) deals with many myths about the EU including the EU army and the democracy point referred to by Mr Carter. This website gives you the source of the myth and explains the true facts. It also helps demonstrate how over many years we have been drip fed lies about the EU often by newspapers who have a readership of many millions.

Mr Johnson’s own government has now produced it’s own report( Operation Yellowhammer) that sets out the risks of leaving the EU without a deal. We have had warnings from the NHS, manufacturing and the farming industry. Is this all propaganda that we should ignore?

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Let us also remember that in March of this year Michael Gove MP told the Daily Mail that: “We didn’t vote to leave without a deal. That was not the message of the campaign I helped to lead.” He went on to say that no deal would not honour the commitment made to the electorate in the referendum.

All of this made it inevitable that elected politicians would continue the debate before it is too late. That should be applauded especially as some of those MPs have faced threats of violence and live with the memory of the recent murder of one of their colleagues.

Now that we know the truth about what Brexit will involve the government should now be asking us all if this is the Brexit we voted for.

If the public want to take those risks then fair enough. But let’s not pretend that all those voters who chose to leave did so on the basis it would be without a deal. The government’s pretence to the contrary is nothing short of a fraud on the electorate.

E Harrison

address supplied

APPEAL

Stride out and help meningitis appeal

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We’d like to invite any of your readers who have been successful in the ballot for next year’s London Marathon, announced this week, to join our team and stride out to help beat meningitis.

By running for Meningitis Now you’ll be helping us to fight meningitis in the UK and move us ever nearer to our vision of a future where no one dies from the disease and everyone affected gets the support they need.

Sadly, meningitis and septicaemia continue to affect thousands of people in the UK each year and kill more under-5s than any other infectious disease. Help us fight back by funding research, raising awareness and supporting survivors.

Those who haven’t been successful in the ballot can also apply to us for one of our guaranteed places in the Marathon – simply visit www.meningitisnow.org/vmlm There’s a £100 registration fee and successful applicants will need to pledge to raise £2,000.

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Our friendly events team is on hand to support your training and fundraising and, as well as a running top, we provide a post-race reception, including a sports massage and lunch.

It’s a day not to miss. Why not join our #teamtangerine today? Find out more by emailing me at kirstyo@meningitisnow,org

Kirsty Owen-Hayward

Events Fundraising Manager, Meningitis Now, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL5 3TJ