Lazy, thoughtless litter louts ruin fun
CRASS ATTITUDE ON UNIVERSAL CREDIT
AT the start of October, the government is slashing Universal Credit by £20 per week.
In response to a question relating to the reduction, Boris Johnson said his ‘strong preference is for people to see their wages rise through their ‘efforts’ rather than ‘welfare.’
It is crass and offensive to imply that the 2.3 million people claiming Universal Credit, who are already working, are somehow shirking and could do more.
This is from the man who spent £28,000 of tax-payers’ money and then appeared to be happy, before
he was found out, to take £53,000 from a Tory donor to refurbish his flat.
The reduction will come at a time when energy prices are to rise dramatically and it will soon be winter.
Citizens Advice say that £20 a week is equivalent to six days of energy costs, or three days of food costs for a low-income family.
They are advising people how to get food-bank vouchers. The charity Save the Children say that over three million children will be affected by the cut.
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation say that it will push 500,000 people below the poverty line.
It constitutes a shameful act by an uncaring government and seems beyond belief that in a civilised country this can be allowed to happen.
MIKE BALDWIN 1. The underworld in
Greek mythology (5) 4. Metalloid element which occurs in realgar (7)
8. South American republic whose de facto capital is La Paz (7)
9 & 2D 1969 film musical with Barbra Streisand (5,5)
10. Variety of black and
white chalcedony (4) 11. ‘The Swiss Family ---’, novel by Johann Wyss (8)
13. Small wingless parasitic bloodsucking insect (4)
14. David, English director of films such as Dr. Zhivago (4)
16. Erich, East German head of state 197689 (8)
17. Philip, author of Portnoy’s Complaint (4)
20. Henrik, Norwegian dramatist who died in 1906 (5)
21. Gebhard, Prussian field marshal who fought at Waterloo (7) 22. In Greek mythology, daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra (7)
23. Tamara, 1964 Olympic women’s discus and shot champion (5)
THERE are obvious elements to a Bank Holiday weekend that many of us are fortunate enough to enjoy.
Time off work (fully appreciate this isn’t the case for everyone), socialising with family and friends and maybe even a good night out.
But for many resorts and visitor attractions it’s also a safe bet they’ll be dumped with mountains of litter left behind on the streets and in parks by selfish, brainless morons who couldn’t care less about leaving a mess on someone else’s doorstep.
I’d love to see the reaction if I turned up at someone’s house, dumped a load of waste right outside the door before casually going about my business.
Put the shoe on the other foot and it’s an entirely different story.
On a walkabout in Southport early on Monday morning unsightly piles of chip papers, beer cans, cigarette ends and God knows what else had been thoughtlessly tossed onto the floor without a single thought for other people’s welfare or that of the environment or wildlife.
The simple rule of ‘if you bring waste with you, you can take it home’ clearly doesn’t apply to those who are just too lazy and ignorant to clean up 1. 1916 play by Harold
Brighouse (7,6) 2. See 9 Ac.
3. Capital of the Fiji
Islands (4)
4. South American river which drains the largest area in the world (6)
5. Roy, Best Actor Oscar-nominee for 1979’s All That Jazz (8)
6. Birgit, Swedish soprano born in 1918 (7)
7. Starfish with a spiny outer covering (5-2-6)
12. Small brown edible nut of the beech tree (8)
13. In card games, an attempt to win a trick by playing a card that is not the highest held (7)
15. Constituent republic of Yugoslavia whose capital is Belgrade (6)
18. An earth used as a yellow or brown or red pigment (5)
19. ‘Forrest ---’, 1994 Best Picture Oscarwinner (4) after themselves.
So thanks day trippers, thanks for leaving my ‘back garden’ looking like the contents of a skip.
Bob Marks, Southport
NO SHAME WITH MP’S ENJOYING FREEBIES
IS there no shame in our MPs?
Just read of Esther McVey [and her husband] receiving more than £18,000 worth of freebie VIP tickets from private companies in just two months.
Also, a total of £197,369.91 free tickets and hospitality events for all MPs.
This on top of very high wages and on top of very high expenses! And yet these same Tory MPs want to slash the £20 of Universal Credits.
Unbelievable – they get more in freebies than people get to live on
Boris and his cronies say they want people to go to work and not just claim benefits but until the workers are properly paid maybe we should be looking at the disproportionate wage differences – that is the true division that exists in our society.
These MPs have been voted in – people have no shame.
KEITH TEARE
The word may sound familiar, but do you know what it means?
NO NORMAL TIMES UNDER THIS PM
THE evacuation crisis is being overshadowed by a national shortage of milkshakes. (Quick, call out the army and cancel police leave, this could get nasty!)
Unaware of the national tragedy unfolding at the ‘Golden Arches,’ Boris and his G7 chums are otherwise engaged demanding the Taliban
SAME OLD FOREIGN TACTICS FROM US
AS one of the last RAF planes full of frightened people taxied along the runway in Kabul, our Transatlantic chums were at it again.
Vice President Kamala Harris was in Vietnam trying to establish new regional allies for future misadventures.
As ‘President in waiting,’ she can only hope that no one mentions ‘that other futile war’ that ended back in 1975. It seems so long ago.
Despite the usual sophistry and deception, there’s something transparent about the world’s superpower that left another trail of devastation behind in the Cold War it helped create.
Afghanistan is destined to become just another footnote in history – and those who failed to secure a get-out-of -jail card, simply collateral damage.
Despite its recent shortcomings in Afghanistan, we must not forget the more successful US military engagements, such as Grenada in 1983.
NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
POSITIVES AS WE UNSHACKLE FROM EU
DESPITE the doom and gloom about Brexit, the Office for National Statistics recently reported that Britain’s GDP had surged by 4.8% for the second quarter.
The Chancellor stated that the figures show strong signs of healthy growth and insisted that there would be no return to austerity.
There is certainly a shortfall of lorry drivers to contend with, but this can be due to Covid infections/furloughs, natural wastage, non-registration of EU drivers etc. Lorry drivers are being offered handsome cash bonuses from supermarkets to join their distribution centres. Good news for our drivers! accept his conditions for our departure from Kabul.
No one told him that it is the victors who traditionally call the tune after a victory.
However, we are not living in normal times and ‘Mr Gummidge’ is no normal Prime Minister.
Even Boris would admit that it’s all getting a bit silly.
BERNIE CARROLL
Unfortunately, there are bound to be problems for the UK for the considerable future, as it tries to unshackle itself from the autocratic and anti-competitive trading practices of the EU. Northern Ireland is a topical example of EU intransigence.
New international trading partners for the UK are coming on board almost on a weekly basis, and Liverpool docks have announced they are upgrading to handle increased west coast business.
JOHN GOULDSON
HELP FOR YOUNGSTERS WORRIED ABOUT SCHOOL
MANY children in the North West may be excited about going back to school. Yet for some, after 18 months of disruption and a long summer holiday, returning to school can also be an anxious time.
Children might be worried about starting a new school, being bullied, keeping up with schoolwork, or be concerned about their appearance after experiencing physical changes to their body over lockdown.
Recent exam results could also heighten anxiety about returning to school. In more than 40% of the 1,812 counselling sessions that Childline held across the UK between April and June this year relating to exams, young people talked about an impact on their mental and emotional wellbeing.
For whatever reason children are feeling apprehensive about going back to school, it is important that they can talk to someone about how they feel. Our free Childline service is here for every child and young person and our specially trained counsellors are ready 24/7 to listen to any concerns they may have on 0800 1111 or at www.childline.org.uk.
MUBASHAR KHALIQ, NSPCC local campaigns manager