MP must heed constituents

I see no reason why MP Sir Julian Brazier should retire, provided he is fit and able and wishes to continue to represent his Canterbury and Whitstable constituency in parliament (MP’S Support To Save The K&C, Letters and Opinion, Gazette, January 26).

Although he was one of the 29% of MPS who wished to leave the EU, now that parliament has been given the opportunity to vote on enacting Article 50 to leave, he should remember the majority of his constituents voted to remain.

If he wishes to be re-elected, he will need to convince these same constituents that he is willing to respond to their wishes.

We hear a lot about the “good old days”, particularly the more prosperous times in the mid-1970s through to the new millennium, but these were after we had joined the EU in 1973.

When the financial crash came in 2008, it was not from the EU but, like the great 1929 depression, from the US, starting with the collapse on Lehmann Brothers and their toxic mortgages. Mike Armstrong Queens Avenue, Canterbury Europe applying for jobs as nurses in our hospitals at a time when the NHS is finding it difficult to recruit.

Second, there has been a 15% drop in applications by young people for student places in our universities.

These figures represent a hit on the NHS which is vital to us all and a hit on one of our major earners of much needed foreign currency.

This is happening, unfortunately, because the impression is being created in other European countries that their citizens are no longer welcome here, and this is before negotiations on exit from the EU begin.

The government should have made every effort to say to citizens of other European countries: “OK, we are leaving the EU. However, we will still need thousands of you to keep our economy and the NHS going.

“Even though we will be requiring evidence you have obtained a job here, you will be as welcome in the future as you have been in the past when you came in to fill jobs which could not be filled, to live here among us, and to pay taxes to support us.”

Instead the evidence, the worrying evidence, is that the government machine is already turning its face against citizens from other EU countries and spreading the message.

Look at how people who have lived here for many years have been forced to think “well, it’s probably safer to apply for British citizenship” and then find obstacles put in their way.

What sort of message does that put out to those residents of Canterbury who are nationals of other EU states?

The argument the government uses is: “We need to use citizens of other EU countries as bargaining counters to ensure our nationals living abroad do not suffer as a result of Brexit.”

Do they not understand that when it comes to the crunch and other EU countries decide on how British residents are treated it might actually be our record of treating their nationals which will be the decider? Cllr Martin Vye (Lib Dem) Patrixbourne Road, Bridge a council meeting. Long service should be recognised and rewarded, but spending £175 on a medal when a framed parchment depicting their long and loyal service at, I bet, half or a third of the cost would have sufficed.

I ask when will the recipient wear this medal? A framed parchment can be hung on a wall at home or in the workplace for all to see.

I am surprised at Cllr Nick Eden-green’s (Lib Dem) statement: “Some people might question why we have a planning and licensing department if we are just supposed to give money to the very poorest people. You could say that about central government Barton Road, Canterbury

Your story on aldermen rather tarred all councillors with the same brush. Readers may be interested to know some, including the writer, though not averse to honouring those who gave time to the community, baulked at the costly event and declined to attend. Cllr David Hirst (Ukip) Palm Tree Farm, Rectory Lane, Upper Hardres