Give us a break from moaning motorists
I WAS wondering how long it would take for motorists to start complaining about ‘demonisation, penalisation and taxation’ and asking for a break, as Derek Walker has (Viewpoints, June 30).
What they fail to appreciate is the subsidy they continue to receive. They have been given £50bn of realterms cuts in fuel duty over the past decade, despite oil-price falls and the Conservative promise to cut carbon emissions.
They also fail to care about the one third of Greater Manchester residents who don’t have a car, rising to four-in-10 of Manchester residents. Bus and rail passengers have to pay higher fares every year, often making it more expensive than driving.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister promises more road building, rather than investing in a five-year programme to complete rail electrification, convert every bus, taxi and private hire to electric or hybrid, and introduce a diesel vehicle scrappage scheme.
The national death toll from COVID-19 hasn’t yet overtaken the annual additional deaths due to vehicle pollution. ‘Hard-pressed motorists’? Give us a break.
Name and address supplied
Monumental mistake
WHO are these idiots who want to remove Sir Robert Peel’s statue because his father supported slavery (M.E.N, July 1)?
Why should a son be labelled because of his father’s past? Surely they are not suggesting that we label all our present sons with the misdeeds of their fathers?
Also they want to pull down anything associated with slavery. Do they mean all the buildings in Manchester built by slave money? In that case not many of Manchester’s Victorian buildings will remain. Cotton funded the Industrial Revolution and was grown using slaves.
Dr Martin F Seely, Worsley
Images worse than words
AS an elderly lady, I found your asterisking of mild profanities (rhyming with ‘muddy’ and ‘kissed’ respectively) in the Ringo Starr article extremely patronising (M.E.N, June 29).
What I find more distasteful is the regular display in your Diary Section of glamorous females (celebrities, actresses, WAGS, Cheshire Housewives etc) wearing outfits that leave little to the imagination. I don’t particularly want to see their t*ts (my asterisk) and thighs while eating breakfast.
No Prude, via email
Giggs’ record safe for now
WITH regard to Joleon Lescott’s claim that Phil Foden may ‘overtake Ryan Giggs, as the most decorated footballer in English Football’ (M.E.N, June 30)
Firstly, that says a lot about why Lescott joined Manchester City, i.e. money and medals, regardless of whether he played or not.
I am a United fan but also a big admirer of the Stockport-born Phil Foden.
Great player, but never given enough games.
With regard to Lescott’s comparison of Phil to Giggs, I feel sure that Phil Foden, despite his current medal haul, would admit that he has had a minimalist contribution – sadly!
Therefore, to compare Phil to Ryan Giggs, who became a regular at 17 years of age, who eclipsed Bobby Charlton’s appearance record by 200 appearances, thereby being there and contributing to 13 Premiership titles (and much more) is totally absurd.
I think Phil would probably agree with that.
Phil’s a sensible lad. Not sure about Joleon, though.
M Ratcliffe, Worsley
Rescue a dog, don’t buy one
RECENT news reports about ‘pedigree puppy shortages’ and buyers being bamboozled by money-grubbing breeders should serve as a reminder – adopting a dog from a shelter is a wonderful thing to do, but buying one from a breeder never is.
Since countless friendly, loving dogs of every age, size, character, and breed are waiting in shelters for good homes, there’s no good reason to breed more.
Every year in the UK, 130,000 dogs are surrendered to shelters, and as many as 20,000 are euthanised because there simply aren’t enough homes for them all.
A dog is for life, not just for lockdown. The RSPCA found that nearly 20 per cent of people who buy a puppy no longer have the animal two years later.
Before you decide to adopt a dog, be certain that you’ll have the time, energy, patience, and money required to provide proper care for life – even when lockdown restrictions have eased and you’re back in your normal routine.
If you can say that you’re prepared to make that commitment, there’s no need to shop around. Dogs offered for adoption by rescue groups offer all the love and companionship we need.
Sascha Camilli, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals