Letters - October 28, 2019

May I offer some comments in response to the recent letter regarding Gordon Marsden’s vote against the Brexit Deal (We cannot vote for Marsden after Brexit, Your Say, Gazette, October24).

I understand completely your frustration about this issue; indeed, I guess most of the population, including myself I should add, share your concerns about the length of time the Brexit process is taking. However, Mr Marsden, who has served the interests of Blackpool South in an excellent manner for many years, is committed to honouring the wishes of most of the UK who voted to leave.

The reason why he voted against this deal and its predecessors, is that the terms of leaving the EU is a bad one, both for the UK as a whole and for the town of Blackpool in particular.

Firstly the adverse consequences (some of which are disastrous) for the UK as a whole leaving on the terms of this form of Brexit include the privatisation of parts of the NHS, perhaps even the introduction of an American style health care, significant reduction of worker’s rights, loss of jobs with the inevitable threat to economic stability.

The Brexit plan that is being proposed will lead to us becoming isolated from international security collaboration, the consequence of this would make our citizens less safe in an increasingly dangerous world.

Secondly, for Blackpool residents there’s the effects it’ll have on big local employers like BAE and their supply chains. But also previously European funded programmes that our local college and council provide, leaving them in the dark of where future funding will come from.

This deal will have adverse consequences for the whole of the UK – however small towns like Blackpool will suffer more than most from the economic shockwaves of a bad or no-deal Brexit, where people are already struggling to make ends because of nine years of Tory Government cuts.

Peter Leedale

Marton

BREXIT

How will Irish Sea border really work?

Mark Menzies said he has given his full support to the Prime Minister regarding the Withdrawal Act.

What has Mr Menzies to say about controlling the border between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, which effectively would be in the Irish Sea?

Boris Johnson told the DUP Annual Conference in 2018 that “no British Government could or should” sign up to putting a border in the Irish Sea.

He also seems at odds with his Brexit Secretary, who admitted earlier this week that there would be checks between Nothern Ireland and Great Britain, even though the Prime Minister claimed there wouldn’t.

E Taylor

Freckleton

TRADE

French farmers are laughing at us

I have just purchased a pack of cholesterol-lowering drinks from a well-known supermarket.

When I read the label on the pack I found to my horror that they are made in France from French milk and marketed under their name.

This is from a company that is always banging on about supporting British farmers. Think of all the sea and lorry miles it must take to get the goods to their stores.

Our dairy farmers must be livid when they hear this is happening. while the French farmers must be laughing all the way to the bank. Needless to say, I will not be buying them again.

C Hoyle

address supplied

TRANSPORT

The Government must step in now

For a while I have noticed the dirtiness within the carriages of Northern trains. This last two weeks while commuting I have experienced the following: Three broken seats; one seat in particular fell into the well putting a passenger at risk. Beneath that broken seat was a rotten banana skin.

The filth and black gunge on the floors stink.

Then there are broken

toilet doors, torn cloth on seats and carriages stinking as they have not been cleaned. There was a perpetual banging, a tin drumming type of sound, on one particular journey from the outside of the train.

There are not enough carriages on some services, as well as broken air

conditioning.

Its about time the government took over this shambles of a company.

HR Newman

via email

Sport

I wish Gazza all the very best in life

I was pleased for Paul Gascoigne that his recent court case ended in his being found not guilty.

Whatever anyone may think of having a problem with alcohol, I know that beating the demons of the bottle are a hard, relapsing experience, to say the least.

Gazza can now move on with his life. I wish him all the best, for no other reason than he brought me so much joy and thrills and ever lasting pleasure as a fantastic footballer. Good luck, Gazza!

Craig Minto

via email