Letters - Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Last week our new Tory MP voted to put over 5,600 local jobs at risk by ploughing ahead with the disastrous one-size-fits-all withdrawal of wage support across our local economy.

Mr Benton (pictured) and his Government are convinced that any deviation from their plan will damage the UK economy. However, we all know one size does not fit all.

Businesses in the hardest-hit sectors across our town are still operating well below capacity and with coronavirus cases rising again, it looks highly unlikely that they will be back to normal in just six weeks’ time.

October’s deadline is a cliff-edge that could lead to a massive spike in unemployment, on top of Blackpool having the highest unemployment in the country already.

When I speak to local businesses and self-employed people they are crying out for targeted income support in the sectors of the economy hit hardest by the virus.

This exact proposal was put to Mr Benton but unfortunately it appears he's put his parliamentary career ahead the lives of local people and voted against it.

Shame on you Mr Benton. Shame on you.

Chris Webb

Blackpool

Politics

PM will go as soon as he can

Boris Johnson doesn’t have the skills or the commitment, energy or tenacity to be PM. My opinion is that he will go at the earliest opportunity because this isn’t the premiership he expected.

His objective was to get Brexit done and the rest is too detailed and challenging for him to cope with.

Janet Toker

address supplied

Politics

Deeply worried over NI stance

I am deeply concerned by the government’s plan to break promises made in the Withdrawal Agreement; an international treaty signed with the European Union less than a year ago.

Brandon Lewis, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland admitted this would break international law. The Internal Markets Bill would renege on commitments to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland and would set negotiations with Europe back to square one.

The Conservatives pride themselves on being the party of law and order, of economic stability and of safeguarding the Union. And yet now the Government is openly breaking international law and paving the way to a no-deal economic disaster. How can the Conservative and Unionist party jeopardise the hard-won peace in Northern Ireland?

The Prime Minister does not speak for ordinary Conservatives. He was elected to deliver a comprehensive, ‘oven-ready’ deal with Europe, which would help communities and businesses like mine.

Yet Mr Johnson’s actions threaten not only the reputation of the Conservative Party, but the global reputation of the United Kingdom as a trustworthy nation.

Denise Wilkin

via email

Politics

Keir’s question was insensible

Unfortunately Sir Keir Starmer is falling into the same pattern as Jeremy Corbyn in citing constituents questions when trying to make a point.

At Prime Minister’s Questions last week, he cited the case of a lady with a four-year-old child with a temperature being told to drive miles for a Covid test.

Surely she should have been told to give the child some paracetamol or Ibuprofen, wash her down with a tepid cloth and await developments?

That’s what any sensible parent would do and not think that the child had coronavirus

Hilary Andrews

address supplied

Transport

A crackdown on cyclists

IN response to Rob Greenland (Your Say, September 14), I would go further than making cyclists pay a tax to fund these freeways. I would make the wearing of helmets compulsory, have cycles attain a suitable level of roadworthiness and increase fines for anyone caught riding a bicycle on the pavement, regardless of age.

Andrew Bryer

via email