Time to make it all change on the buses
PHIL Burke is correct when he says the bus services in the south are far better than the north of the city. Since the M60 was opened up at Blackley, Rochdale Road is a nightmare in rush hour (M.E.N. Viewpoints, January 12)!
Mayor Andy Burnham made a pledge to bring in the Bus Services Bill to franchise and allow one operator to run buses in the county. Is it no wonder Stagecoach and First are getting jittery and may legally challenge this.
The amount of subsidies they get from TFGM is colossal. The fat cat shareholders are licking their lips, like Top Cat.
In all of this is the poor passenger who has sit or stand in dirty and old buses from First, that’s of course if you are lucky to have a bus services since First withdrew a lot from estates, concentrating on the rich pickings. It’s time Burnham flexed his muscles and carried out his manifesto! Stephen Holt, north Manchester
Put up fight for Brexit
IN June 2016 the British people voted to leave the European Union in the largest democratic vote ever and many people voted who had not done so before because they thought their voices would be heard.
During the campaign every house received a government pamphlet explaining that leaving would mean leaving the single market, customs union and taking back control of our borders, laws and money.
We were told the result would be binding and carried through.
Mrs May announced that ‘Brexit means Brexit’ and a ‘No Deal is better than a bad deal.’ Unfortunately she has done an about turn and negotiated a deal that would not give us the benefit of Brexit but would keep us tied to the EU indefinitely, with no say and for which we will pay £39bn for the privilege. It is most likely to be voted down in parliament.
The prospect of a No Deal Brexit or trading on World Trade Organisation rules is gaining popularity with the public as it delivers most closely the vision that most people voted for.
Yet we are facing a daily bombardment of scare stories and warnings of impending disaster ‘uncharted water,’ ‘falling off a cliff edge,’ ‘crashing out,’ etc, and politicians across the political divide are gearing up to thwart the process by proposing another referendum, extending Article 50.
The truth is for two years now civil servants have been working to make a smooth transition on WTO rules. The EU would want an orderly exit and does not want chaos at its ports.
A lot of our trade is already done under WTO rules and these exports have grown three times faster than those to the single market.
Brexit provides us with a unique opportunity to take control of our own destiny. The £39bn can be spent on our own priorities
Ultimately it is up to the British people to ensure Brexit is delivered. Democracy is at stake. This is the time to make our feelings known to our MPs and to press them to have the courage to fight for our country Name and address supplied
City’s class shone through
YET another tedious, bitter rant by
M. Ratcliffe incredibly accusing City of lacking class by comfortably beating Rotherham United and Burton Albion in the Cups (M.E.N. Viewpoints, January 12).
Last season City were knocked out of the FA Cup by League One Wigan Athletic and en route to the semi-final Burton have beaten Championship teams and Burnley from the Premier League, so the Blues had to be wary.
It’s commendable then that City showed their class by respecting the opposition and taking both cup competitions seriously. (United went out at home to Championship team Derby County, in the Carabao Cup, and last season at Bristol City). Phil Foden, who M.Ratcliffe recently suggested was unlikely to play for City, actually scored two goals in these games.
As for seeing if City can ‘turn the season round’ by presumably overhauling Liverpool, United’s real rivals, well let’s hope so, as it would be unthinkable for Liverpool to win it, according to all the United fans I know. Dave Wallace, Leigh
M. RATCLIFFE believes that City showed a lack of class by ‘annihilating’ two lower division teams in both cup matches in less than a week.
In fact exactly the opposite occurred.
City and Spurs were the only Premiership teams who respected both cup competitions and their lower division opponents by putting out a full side.
Those opposition players in the lower divisions would rarely get a chance to test themselves against the best in the world and will remember those games for many years.
Pochettino even introduced Harry Kane in his cup match to give the players the opportunity to play against the England captain and the Golden Boot winner in the World Cup, and the supporters to see him.
The FA cup has been the crown of British football for more than 100 years, but does not engender the financial rewards of the Premiership or the European competitions.
This is probably why some teams field a less competitive team for it. Chris Gordon, Stockport