People’s Vote could be escape route for May
THE UK ranks 11th out of 30 European countries for pay. London is the most expensive city in Europe for monthly rent. The UK is the third most expensive country in Europe for groceries. The UK is the most expensive country in Europe for monthly transport costs.
These are the experiences of the clients of Revolut, an online bank whose clients are largely under 40 years old (I’d never heard of them either). It should be said that they represent a snapshot rather than a rigorous analysis, but they speak of two challenging issues.
Firstly, they tell us again of the pressures being faced by younger people in the UK. Secondly and more importantly, they tell a tale about how uncompetitive we are vis-à-vis our European neighbours. Apart from Switzerland and Norway all the countries that feature in these comparisons are within the EU, operating according to EU rules. So what does this tell us about how well we’re doing within the EU and how we’ll do once we’re out of it into the Brexiter’s “brave new world”?
On the basis of these comparisons we cannot blame the EU for our own shortcomings, and until we address them our younger people will continue to face economic challenges. Until we become more competitive within the EU we should not contemplate life outside it. Yet that is the course we have set for ourselves. For better or worse the process towards our exit has become bogged down in a morass of legal and constitutional detail undreamt of by the Brexiters, but of which Michael Gove’s “experts” were well aware. As things stand the talks have stopped. Donald Tusk has warned the prospect of “no deal” is higher than ever. Theresa May’s Chequers proposal has no support in Westminster or Brussels.
Nobody voted in June 2016 for a bad deal or no deal, least of all our young people. Nobody could claim that what is on offer is better than what we’ve got.
Surely the time has come to go back to the people. One way or another, a People’s Vote could be Theresa May’s only escape route. She has said she will not have another referendum, but then she said she wouldn’t call a general election. Robin Lynn
Sully
Grants available for winter celebrations
WE wish to invite local older people’s groups to bid for grants of up to £150 to help organise winter celebrations.
We know that loneliness and isolation can have a devastating impact on older people, particularly at winter time, so we’re encouraging local older people’s groups to organise social events or celebrations anytime between November 2018 and the end of February 2019.
The Winter Celebration grants programme is open to applicants from across Wales. It’s hoped that through this initiative, older people will have an opportunity to meet new friends and build upon existing friendships. In previous years our grants have helped fund a variety of events including Christmas lunches, Chinese New Year celebrations and theatre trips.
Nobody could claim that what is on offer is better than what we’ve got
Robin Lynn Sully
The grants are only available to established older people’s groups such as lunch clubs, forums or sheltered housing schemes.
Our limited fund is usually oversubscribed so applicants need to make sure they match our eligibility criteria.
For full details of the eligibility criteria and to download an application form please visit our website: www.agecymru.org.uk/wintercelebrationgrants or call our office on 029 2043 1555.
The deadline for applications is Monday, November 19. Victoria Lloyd,
Chief Executive Age Cymru
The small print: Letters will not be included unless you include your name, full postal address and daytime telephone number (we prefer to use names of letter writers but you can ask for your name not to be published if you have a good reason). The Editor reserves the right to edit all letters.