MP got job done, don’t forget NHS when voting, South Holland is a ‘precious pocket’ of country - this week’s letters

Here’s what you’ve been getting off your chests in our latest batch of reader letters.

Our MP got the job done for me

Dear sir,

I was in dispute with HMRC. The letters I’d written to them seemed to have disappeared into a black hole and, when I telephoned them — after being kept on hold for a long time — I got through to an advisor whose computer screen didn’t address the issue that concerned me and so couldn’t help me.

I wrote to my MP, Sir John Hayes, who represented my case to the HMRC. I then got a telephone call from the HMRC apologising.

When the HMRC fines you, you’re advised to pay the fine before arguing the toss over its validity. So I had paid the fine.

In spite of HMRC’s apology, I didn’t get my money back.

So, I wrote to Sir John again. Within a week a cheque arrived in the post.

I consider Sir John to be a first class constituency MP. When it really mattered, he got something done for me.

James Daniels

Pinchbeck

Vote with NHS in mind

I recently suffered a stroke. The ambulance was with me in under 10 minutes from the initial 999 call. I was in the stroke ward at Peterborough Hospital within 20 minutes. There I received fabulous kindness and care from all the staff.

I appreciate that not all experiences of the NHS are as positive as mine, but in my case, they literally saved my life.

Please remember when you come to vote the various views that the main parties have on this fabulous British institution. The Labour party founded the NHS in the 1940s and has, ever since, been committed to it being free at point of use. However the Tories have always seen it as a drain on the economy and want to privatise it and create a two tier system so the wealthy get special treatment.

They will get to the hospital in a luxury ambulance in time to save them from the worst consequences of a stroke, however once all the funding has eventually been stripped out by the Conservative Party, people like me will be lucky to get picked up by an old pick up truck. We will receive a second rate service because we can’t afford the extortionate fees set most likely by donors who were sold the NHS on the cheap.

Don’t forget it wasn’t long ago that Boris Johnson was in discussion with his fruit cake mate Donald Trump and I fear that could have led to selling parts to American health insurance companies. Talking of fruit cakes, the wealthy private educated ‘man of the people’ Nigel Farage wants something similar with a two tier system. So if you love the NHS as much as I do there is only one choice. VOTE LABOUR.

David Turner

Spalding

What a lovely weekend

I had a very enjoyable weekend in Holbeach and surrounding areas visiting friends. We normally only come for the Flower Parade but wanted to attend Father John Bennett’s final service at St Mary and St Nicholas, this tied in nicely with a school fete the previous sunny Saturday afternoon.

One thing we couldn’t all help but notice was that having seen Sir John Hayes petitioning for more police funding in Holbeach, he happened to be at the school fete and then at Father Bennett’s service!

Throughout the whole weekend everyone - especially the staff at Aurora to people at bus stops were charming and South Holland really is a precious pocket of England. I think we will be back before the next Flower Parade! Thank you everyone.

Alex Sayer

Via email