Letters - March 23, 2016

My sister and I went to the Saturday matinee, and it was marvellous. All the actors were very professional, the scenery was brilliant, the 50s and 60s music was excellent, there were many laughs, but a great nail-biting underlying story too.

All in all, a professional and enjoyable production at our wonderful Grand Theatre. For anyone who has booked to see the show elsewhere, don’t be put off by Mr Upton’s review – enjoy every minute of it, we did!

Gill Clapham

Rockingham Road

Bispham

POLITICS

PM Cameron is a ‘lame duck’ leader

I wholly concur with what Mr Dawson had to say in his letter about David Cameron (Your Say, Gazette, March 17).

Personally, I feel his endless jaunts around Europe trying to curry favour with our so-called partners such as Hungary and so forth – countries historically we have had very little to do with – to try and get Britain a ‘new deal’ in the EU, has diminished the office of Prime Minister.

Indeed he has looked increasingly desperate for some sort of cobbled-together settlement, accepting any scrap the EU decided to throw him and telling us it’s great for the British people.

He has become not a leader of his country, but another grey negotiator, a negotiator with his hands tied behind his back, owing to the constrictive treaties the EU have devised to stop any unilateral action.

The boy David, air-kissing his political mother Frau Merkel; a woman who in all but title leads Europe owing to Germany’s economic power, yet has made catastrophic unilateral decisions on the migrant crisis. Or, similarly, shaking hands and grinning at some private joke with Jean-Claude Juncker, a man with a dubious political history regarding his own country (Luxembourg), which has never been fully investigated, seems to be blissfully ignorant of the ineffective figure he has cut in these negotiations.

He said he will go at the next General Election, thus, inadvertently, making himself rather like American presidents in their second terms, lame ducks. I think he should consider his position after the vote in June, in or out; and book his place on the back benches.

Philip Etherington

Boston Avenue

Bispham

POLITICS

Budget crisis is the stuff of Shakespeare

It could have been a Shakespeare play – with the ink hardly dry on George Osborne’s Budget, one of his co-conspirators’ of the Social Health and Welfare Act, back in 2012, Iain Duncan Smith, puts the knife in the back of Osborne. In the event he wounds his leader Cameron and splits the court!

This leaves the Conservatives in a perilous state. IDS claims to be outraged by the cuts. Claiming he knew nothing of them, he says the damage that would be inflicted on cuts to PIPs for people with disabilities, who need aids such as walking sticks, is wrong!

His cohorts defend him, agreeing he has been forced to leave the court because of bullying by the chancellor. Then the rest of the courtiers cry foul, agreeing that poor people will be hurt! Others cry IDS has an ulterior motive to lead the campaign to leave Europe, and usurp Cameron, who is pro-European. Battle lines are drawn!

The rebel army say IDS’s claims ring hollow. Their army of opposition gather in revolt over the Conservatives’ cruel budget.

They know that IDS has voted for the heinous cuts on Bedroom Tax, Tax Credits, Universal Benefit Cuts and the Welfare Cap. They will lead a revolt. Both Cameron and Osborne then announce they will reverse the cuts on the poor; it is too late. Cameron accepts the IDS resignation. Oh woe is me; conscience makes cowards of us all!

Enter three witches who appear before the court and make a prophesy… “Beware of all those who would want the crown in this place of dissent and treachery. Those who will fight for the poor must have a clear conscience and not be cowardly. Traitors will never be king!”

Marjorie Nye

Knowle Avenue

Blackpool

SPORT

Don’t run with your eyes on a gadget

I was amused by your cartoon regarding the fad for wearable technology (March 19).

As a reluctant runner, who plods the streets in an effort to keep my weight under control, I can attest to the number of people I see with headphone jammed in ears, wristband GPS devices, smartphones strapped to biceps, heart monitors underneath shirts.

Running should be one of the cheapest, easiest sports to access. All you need is a pair of trainers, a pair of shorts and a T-shirt and off you go.

Unfortunately, we are suckers for the latest gadget. But, you know and I know, it doesn’t make you go any faster.

It just means that, instead of looking up and out, seeing the world as you run through it, you look down at your wrist. I know what I’d rather look at.

P Laurence

Newton

COMMUNICATION

Why can’t we do things face-to-face?

I would like to make a comment about how everything has to be done online.

I am 80 years old and my daughter spent three hours on her computer to renew my Blue Badge, which I would never have been able to do without a computer. Please bring places back where we can speak to people face to face like we used to.

Mrs M Downs

Address supplied