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Protecting the rich

JOHN L Crook says our MEPs don’t have a chance in the EU (SA 31/05/2016). Obviously he doesn’t know what his MEP does.

Just as in the UK our MEPs join like-minded groups in Europe.

I can’t say I know what they are doing now as I write, I do know what they have done over time.

How? because I have bothered to contact our MEP and ask for information. I wonder if Mr Crook even knows their names?

Can I suggest anyone who has an interest, why not follow your MEP on Twitter: @EuroLabour; or Like them on FB: facebook.com/eurolabour or send an e-mail on clare@claremoodymep.com.

Just to raise awareness here is a little few snippets of info from the European Parliament :

1. Labour MEPs have the support of Barclays and HSBC in the fight against tax evasion and tax avoidance.

2. Tory MEPs vote against EU action to tackle tax fiddling. Don’t you feel ashamed Tory MEPs are protecting the rich from tax fiddling?

3. The European Parliament voted for a regime of Shareholder Rights the Tory MEPs opposed.

4. Labour MEPs say EU Energy Union proposals must put consumers centre stage.

5. Labour MEPs say TTIP: Commission must remove all European Social Services from any TTIP agreement.

6. Tory MEPs vote against EU action to tackle child poverty

7. Labour MEPs voted for a new EU strategy to cut the number of work-related deaths; Tory MEPs voted against.

8. Labour MEPs have exposed how the UK Government is blocking EU action to tackle the steel crisis by thwarting measures that would enable the EU to stop the dumping of steel by countries like China

We would all like to be contacted personally by our MPs and MEPs, but as we all know that is impossible.

This world depends on the media to keep us informed.

I can see who my MEP is working for, Joe Public. Who are our Tory MEPs working for? Their rich friends, or Joe Public?

At a time when Tory ministers are telling Joe Public to tighten belts, it is astonishing Tory MEPs have voted against efforts to stop business from fiddling their taxes.

One question, why has Brexit twice the funding than the remain campaign?

The answer, they have millionaire sponsors; why do millionaires want out of the EU? Check items 1 and 2 above.

MIKE SPRY

Mayfield Close, Nythe, Swindon

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Pensions under threat

I UNDERSTAND Stephen Thompson’s viewpoint, especially when he urges Swindon residents to conduct their own research on such weighty matters as the EU referendum.

I also support him when he says don’t just rely on people like me whose opinions may be formed by prejudices (aren’t all opinions formed this way?) and so I offer this little gem.

According to Mr Cameron we should fear a Brexit as it might impact negatively on pension payments.

What Mr Cameron doesn’t tell us is that new EU regulations will affect pensions by a sum even greater than the “might” figure he quotes in the event of Brexit.

That is the Government’s analysis, which states the EU proposals would be “devastating and reckless.”

The use of the word “might” is common currency in the EU debate as is “maybe” and “could be” – it’s not often you will find words which imply certainty of any action beyond the fact that our friends in the EU will be unpleasant to us should we damage their political construct.

Of course we might be happier to take on board the comments of the Government’s own pension guru, Baroness Altmann who is on record as saying “no one can trust this Government’s word on pensions.” Regrettably her view is one with which I wholeheartedly concur.

DES MORGAN

Caraway Drive, Swindon

Prosperity to come

“BREXIT could result in negative shock,” says a report from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the latest in a line of reports forecasting doom and gloom on the UK economy should we vote to leave the European Union.

Their website proclaims: “Our credibility is built on trust, integrity and transparency” and I take them at their word.

It is Paris-based with 34 countries in membership, including the UK, so perhaps we should take note of their profound deliberations (ignoring their base in case you think I am biased).

It is most likely that a major change in any sphere will cause temporary disruption, loss of stability and a loss of national and/or personal income or revenue.

I will vote for the change, suffer temporary loss, should it arise, but by golly, I am looking forward to an independent, self-governing United Kingdom, its population accountable only to its elected government in full control of domestic and international affairs, including law, taxation, border control, trade, to name but a few.

Oh yes, and many years of prosperity to come.

IAN MILLER

Lineacre Close, Grange Park, Swindon

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Brexit will light fuse

RE REFERENDUM. You don’t want to worry about immigrants, they pay for themselves.

Debt is Britain’s biggest worry, we are the most indebted country in the developed world.

In the March budget we were paying £39bn a year in interest on our debts, the office for Budget Responsibility said we would have to increase that by 25 per cent for the next two years.

That means our interest payments will be nearly £1bn a week on our debts, it makes the £350 million a week look like pocket money.

But of course we all know £350m is a lie. The treasury say it’s £110m, other economists say £124m less rebate, farm subsidies, etc.

Things are now looking bad again in international banking, credit bubbles are appearing everywhere and shadow banking activities are rising again.

In the US car loans are the new sub-prime lending and in the UK mortgage-lending is reaching pre-crisis levels.

We are very near another global crash and a Brexit vote in the referendum will be all it needs to light the fuse.

There is a pro-remain majority in the House of Commons, 454 MPs for, 147 against, but we have to accept the masochistic tendencies of a mainly dumb electorate and I thought the House of Commons are sovereigns.

If so, Cameron should take a Brexit win to the house for an all-Party vote.

Here is a likely scenario, Trump, president of the US, Boris, Prime Minister of the UK. Bring on the clowns.

MJ WARNER

Groundwell Road, Swindon

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Who do you trust?

AS EVER, when the “remain” side claim there is no firm economic case for Brexit and no economist can be found to make one.

I am referring to the inaccurate and misleading letter published from AP Milroy (Tory power struggle). He is wrong on both counts (yet again).

He claims Nigel Farage was unable to list a single economist or firm backing Brexit. Actually it was Michael Gove, but the rest of his letter was equally wrong.

To name just a few economists backing “leave”: Professors of Economics Patrick Minford and Tim Congdon. both once on the HM Treasury panel of Independent Economic Forecasters,

Executive Chairman of Capital Economics, Roger Bootle, Former Chief Advisor to the Mayor of London, Gerard Lyons, Arbuthnot Banking Group’s Ruth Lea, Head of Policy Unit at the Institute of Directors,

Then there are business people: Sir James Dyson, well known in our area, John Longworth, Director General of the British Chamber of Commerce, Tim Martin, head of Wetherspoons, the national pub and restaurant chain, Lord Kalms, of Dixons, the electrical retailer.

Additionally, we have the Institute of Economic Affairs who calculate Brexit could result in a boost of around £1.3bn in GDP because of reducing EU red tape, which both sides say must be done, but it can’t while we are in the EU.

Civitas say that we could also reap double rewards from Brexit of about £1.7bn each year by being outside the EU and that the overall cost of living would be reduced by eight per cent.

Meanwhile, the “in-siders” rely on the same advisers who failed to predict the 2008 banking crash, caused the Greek tragedy by insisting on the euro and said we would fail if we didn’t also adopt it, have caused unemployment in the EU to rise to 50 per cent in parts, enthused over the ERM which failed, losing us unknown millions, business people who don’t even live in the UK – which “experts” would you rather trust on the 23rd?

GREG HEATHCLIFFE

Okus Road, Swindon

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Car park is an eyesore

MANY months ago Swindon Council put some very large plant pots on the pathway at Clive Parade with the intention of making the area look nice. These pots now have trees growing quite well.

However, the new car park in Clive Parade is a disgusting eyesore.

There is rubbish strewn across the whole of the car park. The bins are attacked by the birds, which is part of the problem.

But the main problem is the rubbish from the takeaway shops.

Some of the rubbish is where children’s nappies have been changed then discarded by their parents. Birds don’t use nappies.

These shops should be advertising to the public to use the bins.

Maybe the council should have put the large plant pots in the car park as rubbish bins.

As the car park is privately owned they should be monitoring it, they are quick enough to fine you for overstaying.

J DAWSON

Willows Avenue, Swindon

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Town is like jungle

THE way things are going in Swindon at the moment Ant and Dec won’t need to go off to Australia this year to film “I’m a celebrity get me out of here” they can film it in Swindon as the place looks more and more like the jungle every day.

What’s going on at the moment?

The grass areas around Swindon are getting more and more overgrown and dishevelled, so much so, the local people in Coleview have been using petrol mowers to cut the grass themselves.

Why have the council grass cutters disappeared?

If the grass gets much higher the mowers won’t be able to cut it.

STEVEN BLANCHARD

Woodstock Road

Coleview, Swindon

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Ran out of steam

WHAT a damp squib the appearance of Flying Scotsman turned out to be.

As well as being poorly advertised there wasn’t so much as a puff of smoke as it made its way to London.

No belching black coal residue, just the ignominy of the world’s most famous locomotive being pushed along by a diesel loco tacked on the back of the train.

Very disappointing when I had my iPad all set and ready to capture a magic moment that didn’t happen.

MALCOLM MARTIN

Wessex Way, Highworth