Obsession of Tories is sending us off the rails
THE Tory government’s dogmatic obsession with privatisation goes on unabated, even though the model has proved to be flawed.
Our railways are in meltdown and are the most expensive and worst run in Europe.
We were told that we could buy shares in the utilities, when we already owned them. The same utilities are now owned by foreign companies and hedge firms and have continued to rip us off for years.
The cost of postage has doubled since the Post Office was sold off on the cheap.
The sly, underhand privatisation of the NHS also goes on unabated.
It is not well known that the blood transfusion service is now contracted out to a US company, they now make a profit from the donations which are given free.
As a long time donor myself (I stopped for medical reasons) this would have stopped me giving my blood anyway.
I have two hearing aids supplied by the NHS (to buy private would cost me £900 each). I am now told that the government is considering stopping this free fitting service prior to the service being privatised.
The British public know the way to stop this countrywide rip off when next they get a chance to vote. David Chadwick, Manchester
Sort out our pavements
MANY hundreds of people in Crumpsall and Blackley are now enjoying new, smooth asphalt pavements thanks to the council’s road fund (even just to park their cars on).
However, my road, not far away, consists of uneven flagstones on which an 84-year-old lady recently tripped and broke her wrist.
All the council intends to do is keep patching it up, despite complaints going back 12 years.
What is so annoying is that the two Labour councillors who won the recent election, as well as the MP, live within 250 yards.
Instead of having, as you might expect, the best pavement in the city they are treating us as the undeserving few. Hawkeye, Crumpsall
Meters are no so smart
THERE has been much recent discussion about the costs and benefits of the so called smart electricity and gas meters which are currently being installed in people’s homes.
I have sat on two House of Commons Select Committee inquiries into smart meters and this has made me profoundly sceptical of the benefits of this system claimed by government.
Most of the benefit from these meters will go to the energy companies, not the consumer, but the consumer will pay 100 per cent of the cost on their energy bills.
The metres will not work if you change energy supplier and will never function in blocks of flats making them irrelevant to many citizens of Greater Manchester.
The meters are the most expensive in the world for instance they are twice cost of those used in Spain.
The Select Committees were told that the smart meter system makes us vulnerable to cyber-attacks from hostile foreign powers.
This is another government IT fiasco that we as consumers will pay for not the Treasury. Graham Stringer MP
Celebrating football glory
IN recent weeks the M.E.N. has produced two excellent pull-outs concerning our two football clubs celebrating success 50 years ago in 1968, with City (my club) taking the First Division title and United winning the European Cup at Wembley with success over Benfica.
While the modern Blues and Reds possess some excellent players, and the current City side having smashed records galore in the latest Premier League win, both clubs also had some superb players 50 years ago.
I was privileged, as I’m sure many readers were, of seeing these talented lads live.
City had the talented Bell, Lee, Summerbee trio and the rest of the team were good as well, and United had Best, Law and Charlton in a good side.
Both sides were led by brilliant managers in Joe Mercer (City) and Sir Matt Busby (United), and Manchester, as today, was the capital of football.
Some good reading and memories in the pull-outs.
Well done again M.E.N. Colin Wickham, Ashton-underLyne
You lost vote, deal with it
JUST a quick reply to J Thatcher from Stockport (I beg MPs to do what is right for this country, Viewpoints, May 28).
The UK DID vote to exit the EU with 51.9 per cent of ALL votes cast, not regionalised statistics, voting to leave. That, as I understand things, is the majority of those who voted.
If more had voted or more of those that did had voted to remain, we would not be having this issue now. But they didn’t. So please do not keep on about remaining.
We’re not staying in the EU and the sooner the Remainers come to terms with that the better. Roger Bowden, Ramsbottom