Letters - Saturday January 16 2021

MPs must resist plan to cut Universal Credit
See letter from Chris WebbSee letter from Chris Webb
See letter from Chris Webb

On Monday there’ll be a debate in Parliament on the Government’s plans to cut Universal Credit.

Right now, families across Blackpool are struggling –and many are relying on this money to get them through the crisis.

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Millions of parents have lost their jobs or substantial amounts of income due to Covid-19. These cuts will increase pressure on already tight household budgets. This winter, food banks are expecting to give out an emergency parcel every nine seconds – and the Trussell Trust have said cutting Universal Credit could increase already skyrocketing food bank use by a further 10% per cent.

In that context, it is unthinkable to take £20 a week, or £1,000 a year, from Britain’s poorest households as unemployment continues to rise. Research from the Resolution Foundation has shown this cut would see the poorest households lose seven per cent of their disposable income.

I’m sure many local residents agree with me that here in Blackpool it would be wrong to ask struggling families to shoulder this cut.

I hope our MPs do the right thing and give these families peace of mind and stop the cut to Universal Credit.

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The Government said they will do whatever it takes for our economy – I implore the our MPs to vote to extend that approach to supporting Britain’s families and maintaining the £20 rise to Universal Credit.

Chris Webb

Blackpool

Virus

Blair dose delay view has merit

The suggestion, put forward by Tony Blair and now being implemented, of a longer interval between first and second vaccinations seemed to have some merit.

It would give double the number of people early protection at the cost of a small drop in the average effectiveness. Overall, more lives would be saved. The characterisation by the BMA of this being ‘unfair’ was ludicrous.

Now, however, we hear that the effect may not simply be that a few of those vaccinated don’t gain immunity. It seems that this may be true of a much larger proportion and that the benefit they derive will instead be to suffer only milder symptoms.

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One of the tenets of medical ethics is “do no harm”. If the new protocol contravenes this, then we should return to the original one.

John Rseley

via email

Virus

Hypocricy in BBC reports

Now the BBC is having a go at Boris Johnson for doing a seven-mile cycle ride around London. Please tell me what is wrong with that?

Perhaps the BBC ought to be looking at the number of journalists, commentators etc who crowd around 10 Downing Street. Do they demonstrate safe distancing? They behave like children, shouting out to everyone who leaves the address.

There are times when they crowd around people leaving court and try to get pictures when prison vans are on the move. As for Covid, we have never had anything like this in our lifetime. Those in charge are doing the best they can in the present circumstances.

Barry Foster

address supplied

Politics

Trump did good things as well

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I don’t condone the recent actions of Trump supporters in Washington.

However, Donald Trump brought peace with North Korea, put Iran in their box, recognised the true capital of Israel, and, along with Prime Minister Netanyahu, brought about numerous new ties between God’s own country and fellow Middle East nations.

Trump was also one of very few pro life world leaders.

We may have lost 100,000 lives due to Covid in the UK in the last year but at the same time we lost another 200,000 thanks to the abortion lobby.

Finally, Trump backed Brexit with Britain instead of black mailing us too.

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Not bad for starters. Unfortunately we will have to wait four more years before we get the main course and that’s only if the Rapture of the church hasn’t taken place.

Geoffrey Brooking

Blackpool

Politics

Clergy members and politics

Some think that clergy should be “supporting parishioners” and not “interfering with politics”. Surely both elements of clergy duties matter, particularly when clergy get to my age – 84 – and have no parishioners to support?

Canon Michael Storey

address supplied

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