Spalding Guardian readers letters w/c November 25, 2019

Managing our nation’s finances is not a game. Borrowing tens of billions of pounds is not responsible. Mr Murphy rightly points to the suffering caused by economic downturn, yet neglects to mention that it was decades of speculation and mismanagement by a Labour Government that led to recession in the first place!

The Conservatives have acknowledged that, thanks to prudent, long-term economic stewardship, Britain is now in a position to turn the page on austerity.

Boris Johnson has already pledged to prioritise rural areas, invest £13bn to build 40 new hospitals, increase school spending by £7.1bn, hire 20,000 extra police officers and spend £30million to improve local transport infrastructure.

I do wish that rather than listing votes in the House of Commons – most of which were opposition motions that John Hayes was whipped to vote against – Mr Murphy took the time to recognise Mr Hayes’ multitude of national achievements.

As Minister for Security he passed the Investigatory Powers Act, which has helped keep millions safe from terrorism.

As Skills Minister, he delivered huge increases in the number of good quality vocational apprenticeships.

When it comes to the environment, John Hayes was a leader among those who lobbied for the ban on single use plastics, which has now been accepted as right.

Whilst his work in the Ministry for Transport focused on reducing emissions and increasing the number of electric vehicles.

I don’t doubt that the young Labour candidate means well, but he cannot hope to compete with John Hayes’ local record of success.

Living at the heart of this area for 22 years, he has championed hundreds of charities and causes – battling constantly for South Holland and the Deepings in Parliament.

He has absolutely earned my support this December.

Andrew Livsey

via email

Get Brexit done (or do better)

Like every other voter across the UK, I’m hugely frustrated by how Brexit negotiations have gone since the EU Referendum in 2016.

Obviously, Theresa May and Boris Johnson have both done everything wrong in this respect from the outset. I could say more about this, but won’t, as our country is where it is now, and there’s no going back.

So, what is the current Conservative government, backed by Sir John Hayes, currently proposing? Answer, “Get Brexit Done”.

Doubtless, many voters will enthusiastically cheer, “Yes, get Brexit done, get Brexit done, get Brexit done!” However, is this really the optimal way forward for our country?

If the Advertising Standards Authority were given permission to regulate political advertising, in the way it regulates commercial advertising, it would certainly tell the Conservative Party to stop using the phrase “Get Brexit Done” and, instead, force it to change this phrase to read “Get Brexit Started”.

This is because Brexit won’t get “done” by January 31, but merely get “started”.

After January 31, our country will face decades of economic uncertainty and continuing renegotiation, with a view to renegotiating the over 123 international trade agreements and over 750 other international agreements from which we currently benefit by virtue of EU membership, including current membership of the EU Single Market and Customs Union.

So, the Conservative Party’s current rallying call of “Get Brexit Done” needs to be interpreted as “Get Brexit Started”.

Hence, I’d advise voters locally to ask Sir John Hayes MP to specify the net benefits of Brexit that he, personally, will guarantee to be delivered, and by when. Personally, to date, I’ve yet to receive any answer from Sir John Hayes to this question, and can only wonder why?

Personally, I believe the best way forward is to hold a confirmatory vote on the terms of Brexit actually on offer.

Alan Meekings

by email

People who fall should sue the council

In response to Readers’ View in the Spalding Guardian of November 21.

The state of Spalding pavements has not altered over the past two years – I have complained to the Lincolnshire County Council in that time and it would not be altered.

If anyone falls and requires medical attention they should sue for compensation. The above council will not say how many people have been awarded compensation.

To follow on, more elderly like myself should complain the above views in the Spalding Guardian.

T Pusterla

Spalding

Thought For The Week

Religion and politics make uncomfortable bedfellows. When politicians manipulate religious groups to win votes, or religious leaders flatter politicians to gain influence, the outcome is disastrous.

But faith has been a major driving force in world history. The Bible tells the story of an obscure tribe called by God to be ‘a light to the nations’.

They didn’t always make a good job of it, yet even when they were downtrodden, occupied and oppressed by the military might of Rome, they won admirers by insisting that goodness was more powerful than swords and spears. ‘Administer true justice’, said one of their prophets; ‘show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other’.

Those are words which every election candidate and every voter should be guided by. We do not need vacuous promises of future wealth, nor shrill cries of nationalistic xenophobia. We need integrity, compassion for the poor and the weak, respect for the natural world, love for all mankind. We need leaders driven by those values. We need them now.

Steve Weatherly-Barton

Minister, Gosberton Baptist Church, Chaplain, Johnson Community Hospital

Previously...

Spalding Guardian readers letters w/c November 11, 2019

Spalding Guardian readers letters w/c October 3, 2019