Letters - Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Just let people use their common sense
See letter from Robert BaumeSee letter from Robert Baume
See letter from Robert Baume

In 1946 /47, the Second World War had ended and many, many families all over the world were reunited with their loved ones.

Having been apart , in some cases for many years, when they fell into each other’s arms, nature took its course and, within a few short years, the world population increased.

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Man is said to live ‘Three score years and ten’, 70 years, which now brings us roughly up to date, give or take a year or two.

Many of us have been lucky enough to exceed the time allocated to us, and the families we started have grown up and now have families of their own.

During the course of growing up, most of us learnt what has become known as ‘common sense’.

Unfortunately the ‘common sense’ we developed has not passed on to all of the next generation and some have become what they call ‘politicians’.

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We (the generation who brought you into this world) would like to get on with our lives in our declining years, see our children and grandchildren grow up, socialise when and where we want, be it pubs, restaurants, holidays, clubs (of all kinds), sporting venues, cinemas, theatres etc etc.

So get off your high horses and let people use their common sense and get some normality back into our lives.

Robert Baume

via email

Brexit

This is not victory for the country

In 1,500 pages of at times dense legal jargon, of which 1,000 pages are annexes and notes, the public is being hoodwinked into thinking the Brexit deal is a massive victory for this country.

It isn’t, it is a cobbled together agreement to save face on both sides of the Channel. There are some good things, for example the European Court of Justice is no longer involved in our justice system, but they are far outweighed by the bad. Here are some examples.

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Financial services which account for some 80 per cent of our trade with the EU are left in limbo and causing great concern in the City. Far more detail is needed.

Fishermen have received a very poor deal. No wonder they are saying they come very low on the government’s list of priorities. The French can now keep three out of every four fish they catch in our waters.

The NFU has warned of disruption to farming with delays and adverse implications for costs.

This agreement is a paper minefield of bureaucratic, legal jargon. It will prove to be a nightmare for many, many businesses, large and small.

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Fully implementing this deal will take years, years riddled with legal arguments. The legal profession will love this divorce settlement which smells of capitulation in many areas.

Johnson has declared there are now no none-tariff barriers for trade with the EU. This is nonsense. Tens of millions of new customs declarations, health checks and rules will now come into play - see the government’s own web sites. As a major retailer has said: “It is the biggest imposition of red tape in 50 years.”

The end of the Erasmus scheme is a bitter disappointment for many students. No longer can they travel to top European universities on exchange schemes.

The security services have warned that cooperation over national security will now be much slower and terrorism that much harder to combat.

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Over the past four years the word ‘sovereignty’ has been tossed around by Leavers despite it being an outmoded term. Today we all live in a globalised world, economically, financially and militarily. No longer can we sit protected by a moat called the Channel and decide our destiny. Those days disappeared 100 years ago.

The kindest thing one can say about this deal is that it is a political win but one laced with serious and real economic and fiscal worries. The real challenge now begins. It is the end of the beginning, that’s all. Those who think it is all done and dusted should study the 1,500 pages, particularly the small print and annexes. I suspect it is hoped you won’t.

Dr Barry Clayton

Thornton Cleveleys

Development

Let’s hope council takes notice

I was very pleased to see that Kirkham has been granted a £6m grant to refurbish their town centre.

It was interesting to note that part of the scheme was to facilitate the replacement of unused retail units with much needed homes. What a wonderful idea.

Let’s hope Blackpool Council take note and start to replace parts of our grubby town centre (Talbot Road in particular) before it actually falls down.

Neal Duffy

via email