Letters: December 2, 2016

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

Questioning credentials

DAVID Collins (Adver, Nov 26) criticises, verging on libel, the Green MEP Molly Scott Cato for the South West.

He says the EU is “corrupt and criminal” and those working for it are just on a “gravy train”. If this is the case why is he picking just on the Green MEP and not the Conservative, UKIP and Labour MEPs as well?

He is critical of the finances of the EU but gives no sources for this or is he completely in thrall to some of the “popular” press?

True, the EU may have some faults but have done excellent work regarding water and air quality, workers’ rights, health and safety at work, climate change as well as keeping the former warring continent at peace since the Second World War. If you are a climate change denier and someone who is not concerned about the future of all life on Earth and trying to make the world a better a place, then the EU is not for you.

It is a gross exaggeration to say the EU controls every aspect of British life. What does he think the Westminster Parliament does? Or is that just another “gravy train”?

David also questions Molly Scot Cato’s credentials in commenting on economic and financial affairs. She has a PhD and is a Professor of Strategy and Sustainability and is the Green Party’s spokesperson on finance.

I do not think that Mr Collins is in a position to counter the EU by disputing with unverified assertions the value of the EU against well-informed supporters.

BILL HUGHES

Goddard Avenue

Swindon

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Concerns over policy

AS a postscript to previous comments on Steve Halden’s ill-judged attempts to support austerity policies it is worth a look at the Autumn statement.

It demonstrated the hole blown in production caused by government cuts.

In addition we have the pronouncements of the Office of Budget Responsibility. The OBR is a Tory invention intended to give the illusion that Tory policies have validity and their forecasts always have to be revised downwards when the light glints through the rose tint. Even the ever-optimistic OBR has predicted a further fall in investment. The continuing simultaneous lack of government investment can only lead to more stagnation.

So not only does the policy that Mr Halden supports rob working people of more of the wealth we produce, a theft Mr Halden is quite cheerful about when he isn’t blaming immigrants for it, but it also will further bleed the economy.

PETER SMITH

Woodside Avenue

Swindon

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Setting a poor example

NOT for the first time, I am consumed with disbelief at the “we are all in this together brigade” from their lifestyles that most only dream about (I don’t). Mr Bercow, the House of Commons speaker, should set an example regarding the conduct of our duly elected MPs.

After his recent shameless freebies to various sports events, he has now charged us, the taxpayers, a bill for £1,000 for a morning suit.

I own similar attire which I wear at charity functions. It cost me a lot less than £1,000. Better still, I paid for it myself.

While we close handicapped children’s homes, meals on wheels, we send a lifeboat to pick up illegal refugees in the channel, smiling in the national newspapers at their good fortune. All young fit men even by my failing eyesight.

This is further mismanagement of taxpayers’ hard-earned money. I think it is time for a change. Surely our taxpayers’ money should be spent on our own first and foremost. Perhaps the readers will agree or differ.

BILL WILLIAMS

Merlin Way

Covingham

Swindon

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Cannot see the logic

£12 billion given away in foreign aid but no-one knows if the money is getting to the people who need it.

This money is borrowed by the UK government to be given away, these borrowed funds will have interest added on, say another £1 billion, to whoever our government borrowed it from, more than likely one of the countries we are giving the money to.

We give foreign aid to countries who have their own space programmes. Where’s the sense in that? They can use billions of their own money on spaceships and build atom bombs but we still send them billions of pounds which we have to borrow to send to them – again, no logic in that.

Thinking on, or is this another “Slush” fund for the select few giving it away to contacts abroad only for it to come back again in one way or another? Makes you wonder. Well, it does me.

If anyone can prove to me this money is improving people’s lives I will retract my comments above.

What should be happening is if the government wishes to borrow billions please Carry on Borrowing (It’s a Farce) but give it to benefit the poor people in this country.

This is pure madness, it’s no wonder we are broke, skint, potless up the swanney without a paddle.

JOHN L CROOK

Haydon Wick.

Swindon

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Huge figures written off

THE European Court of Auditors was established in 2013 following a huge number of errors in transactions in the Annual Budgets.

In fact a vast number of these errors were related to EU senior commissioners being found fiddling their individual Budgetary expenditure, which caused a huge embarrassment to the EU government at large. The perpetrators, incidentally, were never named or brought to justice.

Hence the setting up of the ECA.

However, the ECA soon found that discrepancies were impossible to find so they agreed the next best/worst settlement by introducing a 4.7% budgetary error rate.

Simply this meant something like 6.9 billion Euros being written off annually.

In layman’s terms this figure could have bought 70 major hospitals or 150 large educational schools. Or whatever else anyone might like to name. Having a suspicious mind I believe that this ECA agreement still meant that nothing had changed in as much as monies were being lost by the same fraudsters in the Brussels bureaucracy.

So which ever way you look at it David Collins you are not far wrong in your assumptions.

IAN HUNT

Hill View Road,

Swindon

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UKIP will be fighting on

THE Sunday Politics show on the BBC (Nov 27) had some interviews in their West Region section that suggested that the UKIP branch in Swindon was no longer functioning.

It is true to say that some of the Swindon committee had resigned after the successful EU Referendum because they thought UKIP’s job was done and that UKIP no longer served any useful purpose.

The problem is that Britain has not left the EU. Britain might not actually leave the EU for another two, possibly four, years and a soft Brexit might even mean that we remain permanently stuck in the EU Single Market.

Lincoln Williams has been elected as the new chairman of Swindon UKIP along with a new committee. The new committee believe that there is an important job to be done fighting to get Britain out of the Single Market.

The new committee are facing this fight with more passion and enthusiasm then ever before.

TERRY HAYWARD

Burnham Road

Swindon

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Austerity must continue

IN reply to Peter Smith (Adver, Nov 26) the main problem facing Britain today is that we have the worst trade deficit in the world.

The value of imports is massively greater than exports. The text book response to a trade deficit is to deflate the economy and cut government spending.

The economy is overheating. This is a time to reduce aggregate demand and promote exports. Austerity must continue until there is a revival in the value of British exports.

It was over-investment in the public services by the Labour government that crashed the economy in 2008.

The Labour Party has learned nothing from the wild over-spending that occurred under Gordon Brown while he was Chancellor of the Exchequer.

STEVE HALDEN

Beaufort Green

Swindon

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Thank you for kindness

MAY I through your newspaper say a very big thank you to the lady and gentleman who came to my aid when I had a nasty fall on Thursday, November 17 at the end of Evelyn Street.

They were so kind staying with me until the ambulance arrived, I can’t tell you how much I appreciated it.

Once again many thanks to the both of you.

MRS J GRIER

Old Town

Swindon

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Put an end to snooping

IT IS becoming a very dangerous trend now for photographers to deliberately spy on folk whilst entering or leaving government buildings.

This latest snooping in Downing Street is insidious, especially if it benefited an enemy power.

This same photographer has form on this, and it would not surprise me if he is into voyeuristic behaviour near female WCs.

The time has come in these pestiferous periods of homeland terrorism, to stop the media loitering within Downing Street.

If the public can be banned entry, it should be no problem to enforce.

As a UKIP politician, this is an issue we will be tough upon.

CLLR PHILIP WINTER

Southmead Road

Filton Park

Filton