Letters - Thursday, January 13, 2022

Throughout my working life, I have respected and defended the jury system as an important guardian of liberty and not to be undermined.

In the past, upon hearing critics casually remark that ‘the law is an ass’, I have perfunctorily dismissed them.

Following the perverse decision of the jury in the Colston statue trial when four young agitators were cleared after admitting brazenly tearing down the statue during a BLM protest and tipping it into Bristol harbour, I find myself having second thoughts.

Defence counsel on their behalf articulated that their actions were politically motivated against the 17th century slave trader and the jury inexplicably agreed.

Where do we go from here?

What message about the rule of law does it send out?

The verdict has set a dangerous precedent or, disturbingly, the jury has conceded the principle that criminal damage is justified provided it is in keeping with a fashionable woke political cause.

If people are offended by a statue, they should use the local democratic process to have them removed and not use mindless thuggish behaviour.

Over the past few days in my neighbourhood, sadly two glass bus shelters have been smashed to pieces.

I ask myself has this

astonishing verdict opened the floodgates and provided a green light and charter for the yobs responsible to act in such a senseless manner.

Jim Oldcorn

Retired Det Insp

Address supplied

SOCIETY

Pensioner poverty under the Tories

I would like to congratulate this Government for sticking to their same old track record. I am talking about the Tory’s Reverse Robin Hood Plan (take from the poor and give to the rich).

They keep telling us that the workers are getting better wages and the Government will be helping those people who are finding it hard to manage, where exactly are these people?

In fact, it has been just the opposite for the pensioners.

In the 2019 Tory manifesto, they promised to keep the ‘triple lock’ on pensions.

Yet they have broken that promise after Rishi Sunak, in his wisdom, decided that the pensioners wouldn’t require an increase to manage the rising living costs with energy bills, food, heating, oil and petrol all going up at a shocking rate.

Pensioner poverty is here and risen to a 15-year high under this Tory Government so, pensioners aged 70 or over, you need to eat less, watch less TV, turn your lights off, put on your coats, turn the heating down and stay at home because apparently you can live on much less than anyone else.

Dave Croucher

Via email

BREXIT

Brexit own goal will cost the UK

I read with some incredulity the letter from Tony Galbraith (Your Say, January 6) who believes that dire Brexit predictions have not materialised.

If that is the best thing about Brexit, namely we have not been plunged into terrible doom and recession, then what was the point of leaving the EU? We were promised much, much more!

Unfortunately the effects of leaving established, simplified trading arrangements alongside having much less scientific, industrial, security and cultural co-operation will have a negative impact for some time yet.

We voted as a nation to leave the EU, so no issue there – it was a democratic vote. However, we could easily have negotiated a positive future relationship but instead this Tory Government was blinkered and almost manic in its approach.

Never mind business, people and the economy.

Also the misleading information persists. I like a pint like many and nothing whatsoever in the EU rules stopped us putting our ‘crown’ marks on our beer glasses – but it is still peddled as a mistruth by Brexit supporters.

Our manufacturing base was not reduced by being in the EU as your correspondent states – the rules did not prevent us investing or building industries. The Covid vaccination programme was based upon scientific co-operation with our European neighbours.

Yes, Covid has disrupted all economies but Brexit, in the way it was delivered, was an expensive own goal.

Exporters/importers have been hit by more paperwork; bills are increasing, at least in part due to Brexit; we have failed to make meaningful new trading agreements (and those we have are copies of what we already had!); Brexit has had a negative impact on farming and fishing; travel to Europe is more difficult; we have driven good, solid EU citizens away from important vital jobs.

You can’t leave a club and expect the same benefits.

However, we should work as a nation with the EU, co-operate and fix these problems.

Alistair Gavins

Via email

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