MP’s Brexit solutions will solve nothing
MANCHESTER Central’s respected MP, Lucy Powell, has put out a pamphlet with her opinions on Brexit. Sadly her “solutions” solve nothing and satisfy no-one.
She wants a “Norway-style” Brexit (UK to join the European Economic Area) but she ignores the reality that this would end today’s fully-open border in Ireland (risking future Arndale bombings in her constituency) and she sidesteps the hard truth that her solution makes the UK into a “rule-taker” from the EU and the European Court.
Powell rejects Mrs May’s damaging deal of course, just as 71% of her constituents do (Populus poll December 2018). It’s great she is listening to their views.
But she is not listening to the 75.1% of her constituents who want a new referendum. She states that referendums are a bad way to make policy decisions.
This is a valid point. But she should have thought of that four years ago when she voted for an EU referendum. However, she didn’t think that way then and we all have to live with the consequences of that.
The main consequence of that oversight is that there now has to be a new referendum. The old one made the government go and get a deal in Brussels. A new one is needed to settle the matter: is it the Will of the People to accept May’s deal or reject it and remain in the EU?
Twenty-one of the 27 constituencies in Greater Manchester now have majorities up to 80.7% in favour of keeping the deal we already have with the EU. Martin Yuille, via email
Show some respect
CAN I ask all those drivers who have turned parts of Southern Cemetery into something that resembles a speeding track to show a little consideration and respect to those buried there and those who visit? These drivers known who they are.
Please do not drive or park on the grass. J.L.
My memories of the Blitz
I HAVE written a short history of my Manchester Blitz for my daughter and granddaughter.
We lived at Redvers Street, Ardwick. Mum, dad and us children were asleep in bed when the sirens went off. My sister Nancy and me got our sisters Hilda and Alice downstairs, while mum and Dad brought Bill and Alan.
We put the four of them into bunk beds Dad had built under the stairs in our larder. Mum, me and Nancy sat in comfy chairs round our coal fire. Dad went out to fire watch.
We lived near Ashton Old Road, near to the railway goods yard. We heard the rail wagons pulling the ack ack guns into the yard, when they soon started to fire.
Dad came home and told us to look outside,. We looked down Ashton Old Road into town and saw the fires blazing. We looked over to Trafford Park and saw German planes dropping flairs over the area.
Later we were asleep in front of the fire when there was a huge bang. Dad had put two doors over our living room windows and they just swung out and in. Then all our window glass fell down.
Dad came in to say a land mine from a parachute had exploded in the next street, Baden Street. We heard people running passed our door, shouting ‘to the air raid shelter’ in the Co-Op on Ashton Old Road.
The all-clear sounded later and we all went to bed. The four youngest were still asleep and never heard anything!
Next morning Dad said me and Nancy had to have a day off work. We decided to walk up Ashton Old Road to look for any bomb damage. We went out of our back door down the entry into Baden Street. We saw all the curtains blowing in the wind.
Further along we saw bodies wrapped in white sheets lying in the road. Up Ashton Road we saw the fruit and veg, fish and poultry shop Sturgese’s flattened. Next door the Roy Picture House was flat. Nancy and I went to work the next day. We had to report to our boss who never spoke to anyone, but he flung his arms around us and said: “We thought you were dead”, then gave us a push and said: “Back to work.’
There are only three sisters left of the family: Nel Dillnut, 95 years; Nancy Newton, 94 years. (We sat with Mum). Then Hilda Ashworth, 90 years, who slept in the larder. Mrs H. Dillnut, Gloucester