Motofest isn’t about rich flaunting weath
I AM pleased that Peter Lockley has commented on Jessica Reece-Khan’s letter about the Motofest (Jun 11) although it is sad the homeless lost their bedding.
However, the city centre did need a clean-up for such an important event. Jessica’s other comments however are simply untrue.
The majority of cars on display were not the rich flaunting their wealth. Most were worth far less than a modern family car, including my 1936 Standard Ten.
The public showed a lot of interest in this because the Standard Motor Co. was in a Coventry factory and a major employer for many years.
Two other factors. I think this show was badly reported in the press because only posh or high power cars were featured and many of these were owned by museums or heritage trusts.
Most of the more modest cars were owned by ordinary families who enjoy a hobby and who are interested in preserving the history of the motor industry, which started in Coventry due to the huge pool of skilled engineering workers dating back around 200 years. Malc Graham
Long Itchington
Clarity on pay gap
IT’S good news that the Business Secretary has announced new regulations legally requiring the UK’s biggest firms to justify the pay gap between bosses and their workers. These regulations will build on Britain’s global reputation as a good place to do business, improving transparency and boosting accountability at the highest levels.
For the first time ever, listed companies with more than 250 employees will legally be required to annually publish and justify pay difference between chief executives and their staff.
The directors of all large companies will also have to set out how they are acting in the interests of employees and shareholders.
This forms part of our modern Industrial Strategy, which is helping ensure the UK remains a worldleading place to invest and do business. Councillor Tim Mayer Westwood ward
Do these parking bays even exist?
I HAVE already asked through your letters page about the locations of the Signed Parking Bays apparently available near to Restricted Parking Zones and, as expected, no response has been forthcoming from Coventry City Council. The two-page article in the Telegraph (Jun 14) about the council meeting held to discuss the Restricted Parking Zones has no information.
I do not believe that Signed Parking Bays actually exist and I challenge Councillor Jayne Innes to state otherwise and disclose their locations. Michael Smith Wyken
What has changed regarding WTO?
I WAS under the impression we are leaving the EU, which removes tariff barriers between its members, negotiates free trade deals on behalf of all of them, and imposes a Common External Tariff on anyone it doesn’t have a trade deal with, because a deal, even that under WTO rules, would altogether be better for us.
That’s because the WTO, which has 150 members at present, does not impose a uniform system, and as a result allows members to agree deals to have different tariffs.
This, according to Jacob ReesMogg MP, in a BBC Question Time debate (Mar 16, 2017) would give us the freedom to do what we liked.
“Would we need to apply tariffs on goods coming into this country if we were out of the [EU] customs union? No we would not – that would be a voluntary choice for us, there is no need for tariffs.”
Now Mr Ian Harris is suggesting (Jun 8) that if the WTO does not adopt a uniform system of imposing tariffs there will be an “economic disaster on a massive scale worse than the 1930s”. In other words, a deal which looked attractive when we voted to leave no longer looks that attractive.
I know he’s not Mr Rees-Mogg, but I have to ask him what he thinks has changed? Kevin Cryan Radford