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I was proud to march

Last Saturday I made my way on foot to the Swindon Town County Ground so as to show my solidarity and support for the Honda workers and their families and also those that work in the supply chains as I considered that it was the right and proper thing to do owing to the effect that it will have upon our town, and also in the belief that half of Swindon’s families would be there to also lend their support considering the lovely spring like weather.

How wrong I was though as there was barely enough people to fill the car park.

It was indeed a poor turnout considering the importance of the issue to the town and Paddy Brennan of the Unite Union was indeed quite correct to condemn those as an absolute disgrace those that decided to stay and work in the Honda factory that day thus putting financial gain ahead of both their future and that of their colleagues, and to state that they do not deserve the support.

With my right hip aching I eventually arrived at the venue for the march Faringdon Road GWR park and was dismayed to see that certainly no more than 300 people had been marching with me. I then settled down to listen to the band playing who were truly excellent as was the rousing speech that followed from labour mayor Junab Ali.

In fact all was going very well up until a speaker came to the stage and proclaimed ‘we have the support of a Tory minister for Trade and Industry namely Greg Clarke’, and at this a red mist descended in front of my eyes and I marched away from my place in front of the stage and deposited my banner of support in to the nearest black wheelie bin, as it should be patently obvious to all Honda workers by now that it is the current Tory governments Brexit that is to blame for the announced closure by the Japanese company, despite other polite reasons given by them to the contrary.

Surely Honda workers and possibly some of those that decided to put money that day before their colleagues and thus their futures should not be entertaining the advances of Greg Clark and the shambolic administration that he now represents, and to see him as some sort of potential saviour coming to their aid on a white charger is quite frankly too much to stomach, and it is about time that they all woke up to the fact.

Finally I do not regret having marched alongside the few Honda workers that did turn up, and indeed I was proud to march alongside Unite members and also those from unions across Europe.

Yes I did say from Europe which puts those Swindonian’s and also the workers that decided not to bother or come anywhere near to utter shame.

G A Woodward, Nelson Street, Swindon

We’re not responsible

The New Zealand Prime Minister wears the headscarf so often that one might think it surgically attached.

When addressing parliament she greets members in Arabic, and wants New Zealanders to give up their guns. The Islamic call to prayer now booms across New Zealand.

The irony of course is that the alleged killer is an Australian.

Why does the West (including NZ) love self-flagellation?

We are not responsible for the atrocity. Christians throughout the world are being slaughtered left, right, and centre, yet most news agencies, fail to report them.

I have not heard of a single mosque being closed in solidarity. Nor does the Muslim world dig into the sod with its teeth competing to prostrate itself in grief. Not one word has been uttered.

Naturally we condemn massacres, but must we prostrate everything we are and proud of, must we give that up, just to say we are sorry?

Watching the NZ memorial service one notes the segregation of the sexes.

A child might ask: ‘Mummy, why are the Muslim women all at the back end behind a wall?

“Why can’t they join in with the men? Are not both sexes equal before Allah?’ No!

Now we see NZ women wearing the hijab as an offering of support for Muslims and Islam.

As if it were a symbol of freedom!

When our children are attacked (Westminster Bridge, Manchester, etc) we do not get the same treatment from Muslim leaders.

What does it say about the future of our culture? A culture we are always willing to prostrate at the feet of others, yet never strong enough to defend?

Jeff Adams, Bloomsbury, Swindon