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No fan of unions

The unions were what closed the Railway Works in Swindon. British Railways Board had offered all the diesel and diesel electric work from all over the network, because it was the largest and most comprehensive railway works in the whole of the country.

What happened? The unions wouldn’t agree. Oh no, they thought they were clever. They told the board that unless they could keep all their steam work as well it was no deal. So the BR board’s answer to that was final and they never put any more work to Swindon. That’s the true version of why it closed.

So don’t talk to me about politicians of any hue and please don’t talk of unions.

David Collins, Blake Crescent, Swindon

Need to work with EU

We are the sixth wealthiest nation in the world, and we have people both in work and out queuing at food banks.

What is the point– if citizens can’t afford to eat and meet their other basic survival needs and there are over 4,000 children living in poverty. We also have in excess of 11,000 rough sleepers - over 4,000 whom are veterans. What sort of democratic society have we now got?

The government shows little care about its voters, the public. Our politicians are afraid to explain the benefits of Brexit regardless of their duty of representing their public.

Just recently talking to my local MP James Gray I asked why he wouldn’t explain the benefits of leaving EU. He said “ Why should I?” Where is the democracy if your MP is not willing to explain or discuss with their public the benefits or problems with Brexit.

An MP who is against 16-17 yr olds getting the vote BUT whose future Brexit includes.

Then there is climate change and the environment which other brexiteers have threatened. Liam Fox, Trade Secretary stated: “We will have to change our working laws and regulations in order to get trade deals.”

Michael Gove, Environment Secretary stated: “Our fisheries policy will have to change to be more open.” We are now in the middle of the sixth mass extinction and yet we continue to meddle instead of supporting our environment. Only by working with others such as the EU can we have any hope of change.

Gordon Sim, Swindon

How democracy works

I would like to thank Mr Bacon for enlighting me(SA, April 18) on how the voting system works and how democracy works.

So I can try and vote out the candidate that I don’t like in two or two years, but only after they are in office.

The majority of voters in the UK voted to leave Europe nearly three years ago and we are still in there, so where is the democracy?

Gary Darling, West Swindon

Not a joking matter

Labour’s Sarah Church is quite right to condemn UKIP hopeful Carl Benjamin for his offensive tweet to Jess Philips MP (SA, April 17). She is also right to state with much fervency that “anyone who makes rape or death threats is unfit for public office”.”

Will she therefore call for John McDonnell to resign or be deselected by his local Labour Party for his repeating a demand that Esther McVey MP be lynched? Somehow, I am sure that Sarah will find appropriate words to defend the Shadow Chancellor’s comments, as I’m sure she will seek to defend the MPs who thought the comment was worthy of their applause. After all it was only a joke.

Des Morgan, Caraway Drive, Swindon