Letters - December 5, 2019

When you come to cast your vote in the coming election, you should ask yourself two simple questions.

Are my family and I better off than in 2010? Are the public services we rely on better than in 2010?

For most of us in Blackpool and the Fylde the answer will be an emphatic NO to both questions. The reason for this is the hard right dogmatic policies pursued by the same Tory Party in government since 2010, which is now asking you to give them another five years of power in this election.

We hear waffle about 20,000 more police officers and 40 new hospitals from a party that has cut 41 thousand police officers and support staff and left the NHS in crisis!?

The NHS is being privatised now. Under the Tory Health and Social Care Bill all NHS community services have to go out to tender and so far 70 per cent of tendered services have been handed to the profiteers.

As a direct result of dogmatic Tory rule since 2010; pay has stagnated, poverty has skyrocketed, living standards have fallen, our transport networks are crumbling and all of our vital public services including education, fire, local government services etc have got worse; got worse because of Tory policies enthusiastically supported by Boris Johnson.

If you want real and positive change vote Labour.

James Sorah

Blackpool Against Cuts

PENSIONS

Retirement age should be same

The right and wrongs of whether women received enough warning to plan their finances in advance of the pension age changes does not entitle Jeremy Corbyn to favour them rather than other pensioners.

Gordon Brown’s tax raid effectively ended many company pension schemes.

Labour gave no advance warning of this change nor compensated pensioners for their losses.

Women have campaigned for equality and I’m sorry, but that means the retirement age should be the same for both sexes.

Labour’s offer of compensation is just buying votes.

Harry Brooke

via email

ENVIRONMENT

Climate issue existed in past

The important thing about the report that levels of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere have reached another record high is that comparable levels have existed in the past, around three to five million years ago. In other words, long before the human race existed!

I do wish climate change activists would stop trying to pretend that the current problems are down to modern human activity, and that everything in the garden would be lovely if only we went back to some mythical pre-industrial society.

The real issue is not how to prevent climate change, but how to cope with its consequences.

I would have much more regard for activists if they were actually proposing practical solutions, rather than trying to pretend that we can stop the forces of nature in their tracks.

Michael Green

address supplied

POLITICS

Don’t take the public for fools

Could a law not be passed that during a general election campaign to ensure the public are not treated as imbeciles for what seems an eternity? Any promises given by politicians have to be made under oath.

Penalities to follow if found to have committed perjury.

Tell the truth or face the consequences.

Peter Rickaby

via email

MEDIA

The BBC seems to be very biased

During the Second World War, the BBC gained great credit or the impartiality of its reporting.

I know that TV is a different world from radio but I have found great prejudice in BBC reporting on Brexit and, more recently, for its blatant support for Jeremy Corbyn.

Has anyone measured

Corbyn’s air time on BBC TV

in order to contrast it with

that is allowed to Boris

Johnson?

Arthur Quarmby

via email

ENVIRONMENT

Raspberry ripple effect on plastic

I have just returned from Morrisons supermarket where I purchased fresh raspberries. Looking at the country of origin, this is noted as South Africa.

My understanding previously was that Morrisons is pursuing a campaign in its stores to help save the environment particularly by the non-use of plastic packaging.

Can it be explained how

flying in raspberries like this helps the world’s carbon footprint?

Are we seeing double standards applied to help company profitability?

Anthony Hopkins

via email

LUCK

Winter allowance goes on lottery

I’VE just received my Winter Heating Allowance, only this year instead of putting it in the gas meter, I’m going to invest it on the Postcode Lottery and with my winnings (everyone wins, I’ve seen the adverts), I’m going to spend Christmas in the Caribbean!

Allen Jenkinson

via email