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We must create wealth

Every one of us who regularly buys the SA should be thanking the editorial team for the headline ‘feeding the 5,000’ July 1 and for highlighting the current desperate food bank situation in our town by showing how many people will use the charitable organisation this year.

If nothing else it is a shameful indictment of Tory austerity policies and the growth of a more unequal society which has seen the rich and powerful gain immeasurably at the expense of the poor and disabled in our society.

Furthermore, anyone who voted for the continuation of these policies in the recent General Election should be hanging their heads in shame.

Back in the 1980s we were all told by Thatcher that ‘trickle down’ politics and privatisation was the way forward, whilst at the same time most of the country’s industrial base which keep our nation afloat was being ripped asunder.

Since that time what we have all experienced is in fact ‘trickle up’ in favour of the most wealthy.

If ever proof were needed that the monetarist policies that were hailed as being our nations saviour in the 1980s have failed, then one needs to look no further than the banking crisis of 2008 which we are all still suffering the effects of.

As a result the ‘just about managing’ that Theresa May referred to are continually falling through the net, and into dire poverty. Have lessons been learnt by the money men since this crash? I would venture to say, ‘have they heck as like’?

We all need to sweep this tired and failed Tory dogmatised administration aside as there is no prospect of them ever changing tack, and bring in to power a Labour Party that will use a nationwide investment bank to revitalise our industrial base, and in so doing bring about jobs for the population that pay a ‘living wage’, as was always the case prior to the policy’s of the ‘monetarist madhouse’ being unleashed.

There has got to be a better way than continuance of the same old ‘austerity mantra’ from the Tory Party.

Yes we certainly need to balance the books and live within our means as a nation, but the only way to achieve this is by real wealth creation, which is brought about by manufacturing and scientific innovation.

Unless we invest in our industrial base soon it will be too late, and any chance of competing with the rest of the world will be a distant unachievable memory, and if the Germans and the Chinese have been able to successfully do it, then why not us?

G A WOODWARD, Nelson Street, Swindon

Violence will follow

THE many different reactions to the Grenfell Tower fire will divide our nation for many years.

Half of the population sincerely believe that this is the most dramatic and undeniable evidence that our nation has suffered under a totally corrupt form of unregulated economics for the last 50 years, since Conservatism re-conquered the Post War Labour vision of Clement Attlee, and deliberately returned to the same immoral values of the Depression.

They see this as a direct parallel to Tory destruction of the Welfare State.

The other half of the population do not agree with a word of the above, and will never accept that slow revelation of facts from the past will constitute damning evidence.

They present a contrasting view, that malcontent radicals are using lies to make trouble out of a human tragedy.

Tories sincerely see this as a perpetual cancer in the society whose standards they are so proud and nationalistic about, that some ‘Communists’ must be condemned as the guilty party of discontent.

The eight moguls who own the national media, have used their huge power to sell this argument.

Although rationality could reveal the truth, Britain discards educated thought, and relies on journalists and celebrities.

Neither group will listen to the other so, without closer understanding, violence seems likely.

CN WESTERMAN, Meadow Rise, Brynna, Mid Glam

US poses risk to world

Bill Williams wrote a letter to the Advertiser suggesting that democracy is absent from the Middle East because of genes.

I responded by referring to a few of the many examples from history where masses of people in the region organised and fought for democracy.

These movements were opposed by regimes supported militarily by the UK and the US.

I also pointed to examples of where democratically elected governments were overthrown by coups organised and/or supported by US/UK governments.

If he wanted to blame genes for lack of democracy he should have looked closer to home. But, of course, the issue has nothing to do with genes.

The Advertiser published a further Bill Williams’ letter in which he responds. Unfortunately, he bases his case not on any facts but by waffling about details of Omar Sharif.

Clarity on this is important because the foreign policy of the US - always slavishly followed by the UK - continues to make the world an increasingly dangerous place.

PETER SMITH, Woodside Avenue, Swindon

Hope of quick justice

In REPLY to Bill Williams’ letter of 28 June (Common Sense Fails), surely the use of the word ‘Zealots’ should have been directed at ex-PM David Cameron and his government at the time in which he said “I will kill off the health and safety culture for good”, “health and safety is a waste of time and pointless.” He also referred to Health and Safety as being a ‘monster.’

However, I’m sure that Bill, like myself, will hope the families and friends of all those killed in such an horrific way in one of the richest and lavish parts of the world and in one of the richest countries of the world will not have to wait 28 years like the families of the Hillsborough disaster to see those responsible brought to justice and dealt with under UK law.

MARK WEBB, Swindon Road, Old Town