Give UK chance to opt out of the Royal Family

IN HIS letter to the Echo (July 4) Ian McNicholas reiterates his passionate belief in the English

(or should it be German?) Royal family. And he goes further, claiming the whole show costs us a mere £100m, or £2 per person annually.

I won’t challenge Ian’s accountancy skills but these figures look like a gross underestimate to me for running their 30 palaces and castles, to say nothing of the security, royal flights/ trains, etc.

But even if they were accurate, not everyone holds the same infatuation as he does. For instance, I believe they are the unelected feudal remnants of a past where they set themselves up and triumphed through being more brutal or devious than their rivals.

And the reason our current elite/ ruling class is so keen to keep them in place is because, if they are widely supported, the public is much less likely to advance its desire to lessen the other vast inequalities that plague our society. In other words their acceptance is a substantial barrier against social progress and a fairer world.

However, the main claim in Ian’s letter was that the whole show was only costing each of us around £2 a year, through our taxes, which he was more than happy to fork out. Even though I would dispute his figures, this line of thinking could be useful.

If he is so sure most of us would agree with him and gladly contribute, why not let the public decide when filling in tax/benefits forms. Then we could have an opt-out box to tick, for those who, despite massive media indoctrination, do not think they are worth it, or are indeed a totally negative influence. Denver Thomas

Cardiff

Swim was chilly experience

I WENT swimming at my local hub and it was not an enjoyable experience – the water was so cold I had goosebumps and ended my swim early. I know of children having swimming lessons and crying because it’s cold.

I, of course, understand the current situation with energy bills going up and up and the need to budget, but I do think our local pools should have an element of heat to them.

Ms Bridgeman

Cardiff

Do people have such short memories?

HOW does Mark Drakeford have the audacity to stand up in the Senedd and agree with Keir Starmer and the now-comprehensive switch from remaining in the EU by UK Labour?

To say that Welsh Labour accepted the Brexit vote is nothing short of a bare-faced lie. From day one they were against the democratic voice of the Welsh electorate and made every attempt to overturn the result and were supportive of a People’s Vote to change the outcome.

The ministers in the Senedd and MPs were constantly seen in public, at meetings and marches to that end. Their social media accounts were plastered with the EU flag long after the result.

Until last week, even six years after the referendum, we had Alun Davies critical of Keir Starmer, and none other than Anna McMorrin MP getting her wrists slapped over similar statements relating to the single market.

The manipulation of the facts is appalling, do the people of Wales have such short memories? It is totally disingenuous of him to make these utterances and the political machinations show how little loyalty they have to the people of Wales.

They are so full of self-interest and a holier-than-thou approach that basically they are just feathering their own nest.

They are so busy holding the UK Government to account that they are oblivious or unconcerned about their own shortcomings.

One day their chickens will come home to roost.

Windsor Davies Blandford, Dorset

Their social media accounts were plastered with the EU flag long after the result

Windsor Davies Dorset