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Public services first

You have recently printed articles about Tory controlled Swindon Council’s desire to build on open spaces. In my view this process sets a very worrying precedent. Over the last decade we have seen a frightening decline in public services in Swindon and the rest of the country, mostly due to cuts in the money that local authorities receive from central government.

Not only that, but as local taxpayers we have had great increases in the amount we have to pay for diminishing services. There was the several year ‘council tax freeze’ – not matter how wealthier I become through lesser taxation, it will not redress the cut in number of policemen and protect me from the rise in crime, nor help those workers, around a 1M, sacked by the Government’s actions.

Then we had the parishing of Swindon, meaning I am paying twice for the same service: once to Swindon Council (which then will take the money but not provide the service), and again to a Parish Council which will provide the service. Neither of the Town’s two Conservative MPs stood up for local residents during that time.

Now we come to the land grab. Having exhausted the taxpayers’ pockets, the Tories now seek to rob residents of our open spaces in their attempt to balance their books. My long term fear is that what will happen when all the urban pockets of land have been sold. What will the Council do for money? Will it cut the already denuded services?

Long term equitable financing of local government by residents and tax payers is necessary: I won’t hold my breath for this Tory government to act on this as they are too distracted by their own infighting.

Bob Pixton, Abney Moor, Liden

No deal please

Well we must all now be aware of the danger of picking a Remainer for the position of Prime Minister.

She thinks she can thwart the wish of 17.4 million voters just because she personally thinks they are wrong. It is Mrs May who is wrong.

If we accept her idea of a good deal would be worse off then if we hadn’t had a referendum . The deal on the table is worse that the conditions we endured whilst a full member. Does she really hold the public in such contempt that it really doesn’t matter what we want.

This is the woman whilst Home Secretary decimated our police for and that is the reason that crime figures are so high. She also stated that No Deal is better than a Bad Deal. How on earth can anyone believe this deal is good?

We have been told by many large businesses that No Deal will work. The Germans and French still want to sell us their cars. Germany alone accounts for a million vehicles each year. Multiply that by an average of £45,000 for each and that’s works out to be a lot of money Germany would be losing. No if you want my opinion. We have gone it alone before we can do it again and be successful. Lets just leave with no deal.

David Collins, Blake Crescent, Swindon