Prepare for UK’s slide into third tier of nations
As Brexiteers desert a sinking ship, Boris will be left to defend the folly of Brexit almost alone
Bryan D Prescott Caerphilly
THE UK voted to leave the EU and thereby relegated itself from the first division of nations to the second division with less influence within the EU and on the world stage.
The election of Joe Biden could see the UK demoted to the third division as he works to repair the political and economic damage caused by Trump’s anti-EU policies and Boris’ readiness to break an international agreement that could threaten the Good Friday Agreement.
Taking back control and giving it to a bunch of incompetent Brexiteers and a PM led by the nose by Dominic Cummings down the road to Brexitland has led to a comedy of costly errors. Shamefully the UK’s global reputation for pragmatism, compromise and keeping its word lies in tatters. Who in their right mind would trust Boris to keep his word?
As Brexiteers desert a sinking ship, Boris will be left to defend the folly of Brexit almost alone. Farage, Cummings and the gang will no doubt blame Boris for the economic, financial and political chaos in 2021. They are likely to argue that he failed to implement a hardline Brexit by accepting a sell-out trade deal. So it’s ironic that with or without a deal they will have achieved their aim – welcome to Brexitland.
But all is not lost. With or without a trade deal, the UK will only succeed in the global marketplace if it creates products and services that offer value for money. Thus, investment in people, technology and innovation to increase productivity and business leaders who empower their people to participate in a process of continuous improvement of all aspects of the business will be essential if the UK is to compete with low-wage economies and the imposition of tariffs.
Unfortunately, Boris has soured relationships with the EU and the US, our two biggest export markets. So don’t expect any favours from them. A US/ UK trade deal will be low down on Biden’s list of priorities and a nodeal Brexit would threaten the political, financial and social stability of the UK and EU. So let us pray that common sense, compromise and the national interest triumphs over dogma, pride and inflexibility. Bryan D Prescott Caerphilly
Remembrance on a shoestring
ELEVEN o’clock on November 11, no City Hall clock chimes. Also no bugler.
They had chimes and a bugler in London on the 11th.
Our Remembrance is on a shoestring again this year.
Ronald Knox
Ely, Cardiff
Other streets will end up congested
INTERESTING to read the article regarding the building of a bridge from Ball Hill to the park and ride eastern bypass.
It is stated the money for the project is ring-fenced from the sale of land next to Llanrumney Hall, greenbelt land.
We are also told it is to relieve congestion to Newport Road, but the areas mentioned – St Mellons, Trowbridge and Rumney – will bring increased traffic to Llanrumney Avenue, Bronte Crescent, Worle Avenue, Ball Road. None of these roads were built for such traffic and this will also increase pollution in these areas.
The mention of sports facilities is interesting as there has always been a strong sporting culture in the Llanrumney area, Jess Fishlock to name but one. However, the proposed site is a flood plain and the areas of Heartland Road would be affected by traffic.
All this does is transfer traffic to a residential area, and the traffic build-up still occurs at the bottom of Rumney Hill.
As with all council projects, this will go ahead but I hope others are made aware of how traffic, pollution and the loss of greenbelt land is going to affect the area.
N Fletcher
Cardiff
My Welsh rocket’s 1958 Mars mission
A HAMPSHIRE GP claims that because he regularly sends a laser beam to Mars, and that each beam lifts up a molecule of CO₂ gas from the impact point of the laser stream of photons he sent.
Consequently he based a claim for Mars because he claims to have initiated a mining operation on its surface and that in consequence Mars belongs to him.
Sorry to tell him he is decades late. I have always been a space and aviation enthusiast. So on Guy Fawkes night 1958 I took six powerful rockets up onto Wenallt Hill, tied securely together and modified to have a common fuse.
Having calculated where Mars would be that night, and having placed a letter of claim in the heart of my rocket package, I made ready for midnight. Now, the message was a territorial claim for Mars as a whole planet, on behalf of the people of Wales. The rocket group safely fired and zoomed away. Five days later being a planned transit time, an American astronomer reported a brief flash of light in a crater dead centre in the Mars globe. That had to be my own rocket group carrying its message.
However, that was before the Outer Space Treaty and other legislation emerged. But nothing can disguise the fact, as I see it, that a Welsh rocket hit the moon dead centre in 1958.
Rumours in Welsh legend that St Brendan and St David did it long ago have no proof that I know of. So I can say to the doctor who stridently goes to court with his claim to back away because the Welsh Space Programme beat him to it.
Tom Jones
Plymouth
Santa’s waiting for all your letters
WITH the festive season almost upon us, I’m writing to let Echo readers know that Santa and his elves are getting ready to give children with vision impairment a Christmas treat in the run-up to the big day.
Each year, Santa receives millions of letters from children all over the world. To make sure every child can read his reply, he has teamed up once again with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to make sure his letters are available in accessible formats including braille, audio and large print.
RNIB’s elves have been spreading festive cheer for more than 20 years and last year sent 1,345 of Santa’s letters to blind and partially sighted children across the UK. What’s more, Santa and his elves are bilingual, so children can receive their letters in Welsh too.
If you know a child with a vision impairment who would love to receive a letter from Santa, please send their Christmas letter to Santa Claus, RNIB, Midgate House, Midgate, Peterborough PE1 1TN by Tuesday, December 1. Make sure to include the child’s name and delivery address, a contact number, whether the child would like to hear from Santa in Welsh or English and what format is required.
Alternatively, you can email santa@ rnib.org.uk by Monday, December 21, for an email with a large-print attachment.
Merry Christmas.
Alison Thomas, RNIB Cymru Lead Transcription Executive
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.