I beg MPs to do what is right for the country
MANY may feel incensed by the headline on Steve Donson’s letter (‘Let’s give Royals a break, they need
one,’ Viewpoints, May 25), but I wonder if that’s missing the point.
Surely the point of the letter lies in the ending referring to politicians.
There’s a social contract in the words ‘...we’ll look for service, dedication and increasing maturity in acting the roles they’ve taken on.’
I’m not a great fan of many MPs who often seem to be party stooges or career greasy-pole climbers, unwilling to concede they may have been mistaken, without any principles they will make sacrifices for. But I beg them to consider their responsibilities.
As week after week goes by, Brexit looms ever closer.
Despite what Brexiteers claim, the UK did NOT vote for Brexit. Of the votes cast, 62 per cent in Scotland and 55.8 per cent in Northern Ireland voted to remain. Over 60 per cent of Manchester votes cast were for remain and nationally only 37 per cent of the electorate voted to leave. Young people, predominantly Remainers, will have to live with exclusion for decades when Brexitvoting oldies are dead.
And who can really take the words of Nigel Farage, Boris Johnson, Liam Fox and their ilk seriously? They bluster when challenged and don’t have an compromise that all can live with (how could anyone?), yet plough on regardless, making things up for sound-bites and driven by egomania.
Amusing clowns perhaps, but serially irresponsible.
I don’t doubt the sincerity of many decent individuals who are gritting their teeth and prepared to be impoverished for the sake of their ‘freedom,’ but is sovereignty really sovereignty when we accept standards, rules and (by implication) procedures dictated by businesses and others where we in a fractured (dis)United Kingdom have no negotiating status?
J Thatcher, Stockport
What will newbies do?
THREE cheers for Trafford’s new Labour council’s decision to ‘rip up’ proposals turning Turn Moss into a business venture.
Councillors and Gary Neville saying it’s about something for today’s young people is just flannel. It’s all about the money.
Instead you report Trafford will begin with ‘community-led consultation.’
Perhaps there’s a lesson there for Manchester city council with its repeated acquiescence to high-rise ‘developments’ that locals who need homes can’t afford.
Jim Spass in an ironic (I hope) letter on Saturday suggested some new councillors may not feel comfortable with this. Salford’s new council has changed course to put people before profits. Let’s see what changes the newbies bring about south of the Irwell.
E Denkmann
Lessons of fracking demo
W BLACK (Viewpoints, May 21) and others have decried the big banks for their involvement in funding climate change through bankrolling ongoing fossil fuel extraction and exploitation. This is a real issue and led our family to move our money from RBS to the Co-op.
But business thinking it can carry on as usual isn’t just something far away in London as Monday’s demo outside the BP AGM at Manchester Central Convention Complex (still ‘GMex’ to many) showed. BP had come up from London where they have been dogged by embarrassing demos by the actor-vist group ‘BP or not BP,’ whose videos spread widely on the internet.
Investors coming to Manchester passed a peaceful demo. Speakers from Colombia and Argentina joined locals to speak about the damage done and ongoing threat to their environment and society by BP’s developing fracking.
To their credit BP directors reportedly heard challenges from local Friends of the Earth, Fossil Free and Frack Free groups in the AGM. But it seems they didn’t see eye to eye about the need for radical action to avert a world-changing climate catastrophe.
The feelings of some were spelt out in the placard: “Welcome to the desolate North. Now Frack off!
Concerned Grandparent
Cleaners do a great job
I WAS disappointed to read that the cleaners, caterers and porters at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust were taking industrial action because of outsourcing of their jobs. WWL is blessed with the finest cleaning staff in the country. For the last 10 years or so WWL has been acclaimed to be the cleanest hospital trust by NHS England.
I recall entering Wigan Infirmary about 8.20am after a particularly windy night and one of the cleaners was busily sweeping up leaves in the corridor. I commented to her that she had a busy job that morning and she replied that ‘I came to work early this morning because I knew there would be a of extra work to do to clean up the corridors.’
WWL has an exceptional team of cleaners, caterers and porters and it is a pity that WWL plans to outsource their jobs, even if it is to an in-house organisation.
John Mosley