Tories have made us the sick man of Europe
Mrs Helen M Smith, Station Drive, Ripon.
The Tories are at it again. Right in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, the war in Ukraine and conflict in the Middle East, Sir Simon Clarke MP has decided that it would be a great idea to have another leadership contest.
Rishi Sunak says he has a plan, but it obviously isn’t working. Tory central keep banging on about going back to square one with Labour. What do they mean? I remember the last Labour government had some amazing achievements. They were providing services for the people of the UK.
The NHS was admired around the world. It’s now on its knees. Waiting times fell to 18 weeks under Labour – now only 58 per cent of people are being seen within the target time.
Labour helped to bring about the Good Friday Agreement which the Tories are putting at risk with their threat to remove the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights. There are numerous other examples of how the UK was a world leader in many areas under the Labour administration. Now we are, once again, the sick man of Europe.
It should be a matter of national shame that poverty is at such a high level now, that childhood diseases such as rickets and scurvy are making a comeback.
Yet the poor, disabled and sick are punished again and again with ever more strict benefit rules and sanctions.
The Tories do not want to increase tax for high earners, but these are the people who would notice it the least.
Instead, they demonise people on Universal Credit as though it was a lifestyle choice, and talk about banning tents for the homeless from our streets. What a thoroughly nasty party the Tory party is, lacking in empathy and basic human decency. We need them gone now.
John Seymour, Northfield Court, Church Fenton, Tadcaster.
Re: Letter from Adrian F Sunman, Newark, on 22/01/24. I was struck by the huge contrast in content of the letter by Mr Sunman and that of the article by the MP Keir Mather, entitled ‘Dentistry crisis down to Tory failures’.
How anybody living in this country can advocate cutting taxes is completely beyond me.
The dentistry crisis is just a fraction of the huge problem brought about by Tory governments over the near last 14 years (the party of low taxation).
The failures seem to go on forever: the near collapse of the NHS with many staff leaving, failure to build new hospitals, another empty promise from B. Johnson. Near collapse of the education system with teachers leaving in droves. Overcrowding of prisons, with few new ones being built.
Police numbers severely reduced including less personnel on the traditional beat. Justice system severely stretched with fewer lawyers and staff, causing long delays in administering justice and inquests being heard years after the event.
Central government money not being handed down to local councils, inducing bankruptcy.
Basic road repairs not being carried out causing major damage to vehicles and possibly accidents.
Delay to major road scheme improvements, e.g. A64 from York to Scarborough, advocated 50 years ago.