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Corbyn is way forward

IT IS obvious the recent resignations from Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Shadow Cabinet were deliberately pre-planned and orchestrated at what was seen as being the most effective time to cause as much damage as possible to a party that has once again embraced its original socialist ideals.

It had nothing to do with the lame excuse that was given concerning Jeremy’s alleged lacklustre performance for the EU referendum.

The question also needs to be asked as to how many of these deserters had vested interests in maintaining the New Labour type order in the Party.

The people that chose to jump ship have never accepted Jeremy and, in particular, have a hatred of the Socialist policies that he wants to give back to the Labour Party supporters who overwhelmingly elected him not long ago as leader.

They want ‘business as usual’ and the outdated and redundant policies of Blair and Brown which included being led into illegal wars by the US, private finance initiatives which have all but crippled the NHS, and the introduction of university student fees, also an idea taken from the US.

All of this was fresh in the minds of the electorate at the last general election and resulted in a resounding defeat for Ed Miliband.

Jeremy is a quietly spoken man with great experience, having been in politics for a very long time, and is extremely logical in his approach to the country’s problems.

He represents a refreshing change that the country now needs.

I would urge people not so much to look at Jeremy but the policies that he represents as he is a champion against the excesses of so-called Rip Off Britain that has taken British people to the cleaners for a very long time with persistent privatisations from both the Tories and New Labour.

It has led to us all being ripped off for rail journeys and the ever spiralling bills from the privatised utilities.

Now that the vote to leave the EU is irrevocable, isn’t it also time that we claimed back our railway network from foreign franchisees?

They use the obscene profits that are being made by them to finance their own state run railways, which is clearly absurd.

Surely it is the right time to bring back in to public ownership the privatised utility companies that exercise what they think is their right to hike up bills whenever they think fit and serve the purpose of the shareholders and bankers instead of the wellbeing of their customers.

How nice it would be for essential services to again be run for the good of the people with profits secondary.

The forward-looking policies of Jeremy Corbyn represent fairness and equality for all working people who have been ripped off over many years.

They should not be dismissed as being old Labour as the alternative just represents the same dogma that ultimately empties the wallets of hard working people for the sake of the well off corporate shareholders and the banking fraternity.

GA WOODWARD

Nelson Street, Swindon

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Stand up to bigotry

OVER recent years the Adver has printed several of my letters expressing my concern that the inflammatory headlines and language used by some newspapers and politicians aimed at migrants and refugees could lead to a rise in racist and xenophobic attacks on the streets of the UK.

Sadly, my concerns have been confirmed, with many reported incidents of racist behaviour across the country.

It appears the EU referendum has given carte blanche to the racists in society who feel they can verbally and physically abuse those they believe have no right to be in the UK.

I know many people who voted Leave in the referendum, all of whom had genuine and honourable reasons for doing so.

Unfortunately, there were also a considerable number of people who voted Leave because of their sheer hatred of a person’s skin colour, religion and nationality.

As a white British male and someone who has kept the company of a black South African lady for several years, we have encountered blatant racism on several occasions and believe me, it is both ugly and vicious and has no place in society.

There are more good people in society than bad and it is up to the good people to stand up to racism and bigotry wherever it raises its ugly head.

MARTIN WEBB

Swindon Road, Swindon

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Referendum a farce

ONE of the multitude of boasts during the referendum was “taking back control”.

Well that’s a joke. So far the person who was in control, Cameron, quit, the people saying get back control are not in a position to take control and the opposition leader has totally lost control.

It has now left this nation in the hokey cokey situation; Northern Ireland wanted in, England and Wales wanted out, leaving Scotland in the middle to shake it all about.

I have now voted out twice in two European elections, once in 1970s and again last week. The first time I lost and last week I won. I therefore demand another referendum so I can have a decider.

This referendum has turned out to be complete farce. This was brought about by David Cameron. His hope was to quell his back benchers, and also see off UKIP. Both have totally failed. Neither camp had a plan for Brexit.

The remain campaign said it would be a leap in the dark but this has turned out to be a leap off a cliff.

My suggestion is get hold of the paper with the result on, tear it up and pretend it didn’t happen and don’t tell anyone; we might just get away with it.

ALLAN WOODHAM

Nythe, Swindon

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EU helps unite nations

BILL Williams said in a recent letter about the referendum vote: “Most important of all, our ancestors who fought in two world wars did not die in vain.”

I am an English person whose three great uncles were slaughtered in the First World War, two at the Battle of the Somme.

My grandfather, whose brothers were killed, then saw his sons go off to fight in the Second World War.

They were killed because countries in Europe fell out and took to arms, which is one of the reasons why Europe wanted to try and get together to form trading agreements instead of tearing each other to bits.

It may not be perfect but my generation have had freedom to talk of cucumbers and bananas instead of armies and guns.

Surely we should be a world united, not just a nation? Wasn’t that the problem before? But we all live on the same planet.

I object to Bill Williams making a reference in his letter to the past wars and so trivialising the sacrifices my relatives made over a discussion on a referendum vote. Shame on him.

Also, does David Collins really think all the EU is only about cucumbers and bananas?

And when exactly did he think Britain was on top? In the 70s ,the 50s, the 20s, before women got the vote or 1914?

PAULINE MCCARTHY

Langdale Drive Swindon

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Leave voters abused

I HAVE to say I have been appalled by the appallingly unsportsmanlike way the Remain voters have conducted themselves.

I find it offensive the Leave voters have been described as being like Neanderthals, suggesting that by voting Leave you are obviously some kind of simpleton or a lower life form.

Another thing that annoys me is if you are Scottish it’s OK to say you are a proud Scot, if you are Welsh you are OK to be proud and if you are Irish you can be proud to be Irish but if you say I am proud to be English you seem to be labelled by these Remain people as xenophobic and a racist.

It also bugs me that any person who voted to leave it’s immediately thought that your reason was the immigration issue.

There are thousands of reasons why people voted to leave. The choice of whether to remain or leave was a personal thing and nobody has the right to say “you were wrong” or “you should be ashamed.” So, for all our sakes, let’s get over it and get on with it.

MORGAN FRENCH

Bevisland, Eldene, Swindon

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Respect democracy

WE WENT to the polls and, for better or worse, the decision was taken by a majority of 1.3 million people to instruct our government to begin withdrawing from the EU.

In a true democracy both sides would accept the result and the government would get on with the job.

That we have had dissent from the losing, pro EU side, shows not simply that they are a group who have no respect for democracy, but reveal one of the main reasons why the EU, itself a very anti-democratic body, is a failure.

Several recent letter writers to your paper say they want to ‘change the rules’, re-run the referendum until they get a result more in their favour (a typical EU ploy) and many other things.

It was made clear by the Prime Minister that it would be a simple in or out referendum with a binding result. He should now honour that pledge and trigger Article 50 before the end of the month.

Or does Mr Cameron, and by implication the Tory Party, not believe in the democratic process either?

GREG HEATHCLIFFE

Okus Road, Swindon

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Time to pull together

REGARDING my letter that appeared in the Advertiser on June 29; I subsequently wrote to the paper asking for it not to be printed as, with passions running high, I preferred not to add fuel to the flames.

Unfortunately, it seems the paper didn’t get this.

For what it’s worth, I wish the result had been different but what’s done is done and the best thing now is for everyone to pull together and make it work.

NICK PERRY

Covingham, Swindon

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Thank you for support

HIGHWORTH RNLI would like to thank all who supported our coffee morning in Highworth Methodist Church on June, 25. We raised £121.40.

Our thanks to the church for allowing us to use their premises.

RON ROSE

Twickenham Close, Swindon