Letters - January 11, 2019

I was very pleased to learn that my friend and music colleague Jon Bamborough is to receive an MBE.

Jon is the real deal and you could describe him as a real life Father Christmas type character as he is generous and a fair minded good guy.

A stoic, who throughout his life has been a champion for the underdog, he also strongly believes in fair play and social justice.

The supportive work he has done within his local community, and beyond, has helped to enrich the lives of others less fortunate. He has a personal passion to support live music, help the homeless and those who are troubled with poor mental health. He has taken part in several ‘sleep out’ fundraising events for Streetlife, which I agree is a worthy Blackpool-based charity supporting young people since 1984.

His efforts to establish the Blackpool Music Festival, without the financial support of commercial sponsors deserves to be recognised. His ability to keep cool, calm and collected with organising, event stage management is a great quality.

I’m looking forward to working alongside Jon with The Blackpool Jazz & Blues Weekend on July 27-28.

We also have some other music projects in London this summer, presented on behalf of the Unity Music Arts Trust with Musicians Against Homelessness.

His recognition is truly deserved. He has done himself, his family and the people of the Fylde coast proud.

Step forward and take a bow Mr Jonathon Bamborough MBE.

Stephen Pierre

Umat.org.uk

Health

Long term NHS commitment

Every one of us has, at some time in our lives, had to use our National Health Service, a service staffed by dedicated highly-skilled professionals who undertake amazing work every single day.

Seventy years after being founded, the NHS is still the envy of many countries across the world, thanks to the dedication of everyone who works for the service.

I therefore welcome the Government’s Long Term Plan, protecting the fantastic services that are available to every one of us for generations to come.

The multi-billion pound funding boost will help to transform patient care, helping to improve maternity care, ensuring older people get the best care available and utilising the latest digital technology to ensure the service is fit for the future.

More money will also be spent on NHS staff, with tens of thousands more doctors, nurses and other health professionals to be recruited across the country. Across Lancashire an initiative was launched last year with pharmacies across the region to support patients with their medicines when they leave hospital. Schemes like this, coupled with the government’s long term commitment to the NHS, will ensure that our region is at the forefront of providing the best quality healthcare available for you and your family.

Scott Benton

Conservative Candidate for Blackpool South

Brexit

Don’t talk about the ‘Dunkirk Spirit’

It is absurd when some Brexiteers implore us to draw upon the Dunkirk spirit if we are to ‘evacuate’ from the EU.

Firstly this is the same type of dumbing down of complex issues that has got us into this mess. They simplify the truth to the point of twisting it into a lie.

Other such brainless but alluring mantras that have led us into the uncharted chaos we now find ourselves include ‘out means out’, ‘take back control’ and ‘four legs good, two legs bad’ (ok, maybe not that one).

And their grasp of history is... basic.

The Dunkirk evacuation was vital to the outcome of the war, but the ‘spirit’ was as much as anything a propaganda tool, much needed in 1940.

Churchill himself cautioned the population about relying too much on this hype when he (prophetically) warned at the time, “Wars are not won by evacuation”.

Richard Tandy

Blackpool

Retail

What help was given to the small shops?

There have been many people demanding that something should be done to support our high streets as chain stores like M&S, John Lewis, and Debenhams struggle with falling sales.

Could we not apply the same measures as were used to support the small butchers, bakers and candlestick makers etc. when these stores moved on to the high street in the first place?

CJ Ball

Address supplied