Letters: Wednesday, May 3, 2017

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

Back where we belong

To respond to Mr Poole in 250 words, I can speak for myself, and I would like to think most of the near 18 million who voted to leave, we wanted and end to the fishing fiasco, where EU countries have bigger options on our fish than we do, we wanted an end to the free movement of people, where criminals in Poland can leave jail, come to this country and within a few days be out and raping women. Can he repeat the dire warnings we were given by the remain side, and say which one if any, have been proved correct?

As I said, you can't have no free movement and the single market, so both had to go, its that simple. We knew what we wanted, we wanted this country be run by this country, not some faceless officials in either Brussels or Strasburgh, depending on the day of the month, we want an end to the ‘human rights fiasco’, and have a British rule of law over such matters. He says that my point over the 70s money fiasco was down to the industrial revolution, what utter rubbish, and if that was the case, why didnt the brilliant Healy, do something about it and not wait, until that call to go to the IMF and explain his countries dire situation. Remainers need to respect the vote and go forward to get this country back where it belongs in the world rankings.

T REYNOLDS, Wheeler Avenue, Swindon

EU is bad for trade

ADAM Poole (Apr 29) claims that the people who voted leave to the EU did not know what they were voting for.

Many people were concerned about the huge trade deficit that we run with the EU.

Britain's trade deficit with the EU is over a billion pounds a week.

Manufacturing industry has been in rapid decline since we joined the EU in 1973.

Britain used to make so many things such as televisions, fridges, washing machines, tumble dryers, aeroplanes and ships. The EU has been bad for trade.

STEVE HALDEN, Beaufort Green, Swindon

Time to move on

AN open letter to Adam Poole: stop whingeing, grow up and crack on.

ROY GIBBONS, Bath Road, Swindon

We were conned

IN response to Mr Des Morgan’s letter of 25th April, I have to say that once again we see further evidence of Mr Morgan’s disingenuity regarding matters relating to the EU.

In his opening sentence he claims that leaving the Single Market was part of last June’s vote to leave the EU. It was not.

In the run up to June 23rd the Leave campaign, despite being repeatedly challenged, totally failed to come up with a plan for what they wanted to see happen should the UK leave the EU. During the campaign we saw senior figures from the Leave campaign arguing that we should leave the single market, with others, such as Boris Johnson, stating quite clearly that he did not wish to see us leave the single market. To claim as Mr Morgan does that leaving the Single Market was an intrinsic part of the vote on the 23rd June is deceitful.

There is also further evidence of Mr Morgan’s disingenuity in his letter. He claims that the EU Single Market is all about protectionism. Why then would they EU sign free trade agreements with countries all over the world as they have recently done with Canada? Mr Morgan’s claim simply does not stack up.

He then goes on to discuss the fact that the proportion of our trade with the EU is falling in comparison to our trade with the rest of the world. What he fails to do is explain some basic facts and background information that is relevant to this claim and as a consequence does not give a true picture of the situation. Firstly this is not caused by a decline in trade with the EU, far from it. Our trade with the EU grew on average by 3.6% each year between 1999 and 2014 (Source: ONS), Secondly, the EU economy is growing, often at a faster rate than our own, and thirdly the primary reason for this is the growth of the economies of non EU countries such as China and India meaning that our exports to such countries has grown at a higher rate during the same period – on average 6.5% (Source ONS). This not only shows that the EU remains and will continue to be a very important if not vital trading partner, but also totally undermines arguments of the likes of Mr Morgan that the EU prevents us from trading with the rest of the world.

Finally Mr Morgan makes reference to our trade deficit of £68 billion with the EU again without mentioning any of the benefits of our membership of the EU such as the £66 million of inward investment that we were receiving each and every day from other EU countries, which of course, is now at risk as a result of the deceitful and dishonest Leave campaign that conned the voters of this country into voting to leave the EU.

Indeed with this latest letter, Mr Morgan has once again demonstrated just how disingenuous those that wish to quit the EU can be.

ADAM POOLE, Savill Crescent, Wroughton

Personal beliefs

I FIND Mr Adams' statement about me spending the afterlife with murderers, rapists, adulterers and fraudsters etc very offensive. I dare say that many of these people were believers, including the clergy! I find that he has labelled me as an evil person, all because my beliefs differ from his.

Strangely, all of my elder family lost their faith as they grew older. According to Mr Adams I will meet all of them in Hell. All will have been judged by a supernatural being with nothing else better to do and found without faith. Yet I cannot recall any of my family committing sinful acts. In fact they did a great deal of good within the community without asking for reward.

How can he believe that the unfaithful will get punished for being unable to follow his personal beliefs? The world is filled with various religions all of which purport to be the only way of believing. I do not say that anyone should be prevented from following their own path as long as they do not want me to be included!

Ask yourself who it was that created malaria and all the other diseases that plague mankind? Is God not responsible for the drought in Ethiopia that is causing millions of children to die? All they need is rain to be able to grow crops.

Here endeth my testimony, in answer to Mr Adams' letters about religion and God. What I believe in, with millions of others, is that I won’t be alone on the day I pass over. If I am proved to be wrong, then it is only because I am human with all the frailties that go to make me.

JANET WOODHAM, Scotby Avenue, Swindon

Lack of support

I'M not surprised Swindon Town's management don't seem bothered about putting money in to buying new players or for a much needed new stand, if the "faithful" can't be bothered to attend the last game - the attendance was 3,346, of which 1106 were away support. Shocking!

G DREWITT, Swindon

Who is paying?

I SEE from today’s front page that the museum project has a new director.

What is he costing us, the rate payer, and how much has the project cost us, the rate payer again, to date ?

Let’s have some facts, please!

GERRY TAYLOR, Newcastle Street, Swindon

Clear out the rascals

IT takes a lot to put a smile on my face at the moment, due to tending to my wife’s advanced Alzheimer’s. We will have been married 55 years this August. But one exception occurred - the release from prison after three years of Royal Marine Sergeant Alexander Blackman in the arms of his wife. An injustice to a free society in defence of its principals that should never, ever occur again.

The judiciary in my opinion have dedicated members who act in our best interests. But they also have as every organisation has, rascals amongst the resilient.

Clear them out at all levels, or be tarred with the ancient wisdom of the past. Birds of a feather flock together. Do not all our friends and associates reflect on our freedom of choice of relationships? Or am I missing something in the practicality of common sense?

BILL WILLIAMS, Merlin Way, Covingham

Don’t believe myths

I WISH I weren’t surprised when I read letters from Steve Jack and James Marlow. I wish after all these years of experiencing lying journalists, politicians and people for covering up the genocide of the Palestinian people I didn’t feel surprise when I read lies. You’d think I’d get over it. How can I reason with people who do not believe in the truth, evidence, and logic?

I was trained to utter and defend the truth. It’s usually an unpopular and lonely path. Nevertheless, it is human and kind. After 11 years of studying politics, I still do not know how to deal with manipulation, word games and lies.

Mr Marlow and Mr Jack believe in the myths. And for that they cannot face evidence, proof and the truth. I have asked two basic questions. None of these are answered. Instead, he repeats the myth he’s been consuming all his life.

Just in case, they’ve overlooked, I will repeat my questions here: In 2008, 1,500 Palestinian people have killed, mostly civilians. In 2014, 3,000 were murdered and 700 were children.

Now, there are two related questions for Mr Marlow and Mr Jack — 1. Is it right to kill innocent Palestinian people? 2. If not, why don’t you condemn the barbaric actions which has been done in the name of creating a Jewish homeland for the last 70 years?

AXMED BAHJAD, Fleet Street, Swindon