Letters: August 2, 2016

Anonymity is granted only at the discretion of the editor, who also reserves the right to edit letters.

An insult to pensioners

ASK not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for all eventually.

I am of course well aware of Baroness Altman’s record of “good works” as far as specific groups of company pensioners are concerned and this makes it even more regrettable that she appears to be part of the monetarist Tory backlash aimed at protecting capitalists at all costs, no matter who else is hurt in the process, including pensioners.

When she next attends the official Opening of Parliament dressed in her expensive medieval garb, maybe she should give some thought to those whose life-long struggle to rise from the mud was not as successful as her own.

Many of today’s pensioners served in the Second World War, or had their schooling affected by it.

Even more of us were forced to spend two years serving in Her Majesty’s Armed Forces, at a remuneration of about 20 per cent of the then average weekly wage.

Even an economist who wasn’t 21 until the late 1970s and has been indoctrinated by Harvard University ought to be able to see the financial and career implications of that.

Eventually the bell tolls for all of us. Many, albeit a minority, will have few financial worries in the 20 or so years between retirement and that event but most will have constant money worries and for commentators, as on the BBC News on Sunday to support the lady by commenting that the present system allows pensioners’ incomes to rise faster than the wages of those not yet retired, is frankly sickening.

Such comparisons are odious but sadly typical of well-shod “experts.”

As I saw, when aged only 33, chalked on the smoke box of a 1920s steam locomotive struggling along a West German track leaking steam from every rivet, “Do not laugh – you too will grow old”; a comment that has lived with me every day of the almost 50 years since.

Actual State Pensions depend on a number of factors and many who also have an employer’s pension will not receive the full amount AND may also pay income tax.

But let us take some rough figures.

Assuming a pensioner gets a £150 a week pension then the difference between a 2.5 per cent rise and a 1.5 per cent rise is £1.50 per week (two tins of soup at Asda).

A one per cent rise in the UK National Average Weekly Wage of £503 is £5.03 but in fact recent rises have been around two per cent, so where are all these overpaid pensioners compared with “hard working families” hiding? Tory Central Office perhaps?

Naturally, being but a peasant, I remain the baroness’s humble and obedient servant as, I am sure, do all the other riff-raff burdens on the State’s finances but give us a break my lady – we’ll all be dead soon and waiting for you, so could you please bring a few sarnies, or maybe burgers if we’re in a hotter place?

TERRY FLINDERS

Address supplied

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EU scare tactics failed

I AM sure your readers would have been cognisant of the delicious irony displayed in the letter from Adam Poole (SA 30 July) in which he accuses me of ‘twisting his words’ and then attempts to misrepresent the content of my letter of July 20.

My letter outlined the hyperbole employed by the Remain camp in the recent EU referendum and countered the fibs they told with some actual facts.

It is clearly a great sense of annoyance to the supporters of Remain that the doomsday scenario trumpeted by leading politicians and so-called experts has not materialised.

The UK remains open for business, attracting inward investment, offering low interest mortgages and providing employment opportunities for even more of its citizens.

The UK government has not had to hold an emergency budget, increase interest rates, reduce State Pensions and close hospitals.

Amazingly, a third world war has not broken out and, in defiance of the EU’s thinking, the civilised world as we know it has not come to an end.

Phew – so all those predictions really were simply to scare us into voting Remain.

Having read and re-read Mr Poole’s letter I am unable to determine what he means when he writes “your attempt to have it both ways has backfired.” But I am sure he will delight in telling me.

What I stand by is my view that the dangers of a Brexit vote, which were wildly exaggerated for political gain, were set out quite clearly by Government and their many supporters.

Some voters chose to believe the apocalyptic utterances, others did not.

As for misrepresenting Mr Poole I haven’t – he did write “leaving the EU would put at risk every single one of the 3.5 million British jobs involved with producing the goods and services we export to the EU.”

I just don’t agree with his view.

DES MORGAN

Caraway Drive, Swindon

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Stop being bad losers

LET ME make a clear and decisive statement on the attacks on Des Morgan on the letters pages.

I have met Des a few times through our mutual charity work. You could not meet a nicer gentleman and a more sincere, intelligent and hard working person than him.

He has a marvellous sense of humour, and a friendly approach. The petty excuses of the people regarding the man’s clear, articulate dissection of their English words fool no-one, except perhaps his misguided abusers.

A word of advice – give it a rest and stop boring us all with excuses for your failure in supporting the European Disunion as it disintegrates before our eyes.

The democratic will of the British people fought over centuries of blood and toil has now been declared.

Bad losers puts it mildly on my criteria. Bury your heads in shame and support our country, as I have always done. My democratic vote has been cast for over half a century – losing most times.

But I have honoured the decision of the majority.

BILL WILLIAMS

Merlin Way

Covingham

Swindon