Govt policies are putting us in harm's way

One of the underlying issues connecting UK COVID policy and Brexit ideology is the attack on the Precautionary Principle.

This is one of the specific demands we are about to encounter in US trade negotiations because it underlies most global consensus on biosecurity policy and the EU has been one of its pillars.

The major US lobbies led by big oil and gas want the Precautionary Principle scrapped by the EU and by other western trading partners.

The principle has already been largely scrapped in US law, thanks to the Kochs.

The hollowing out of public health and pandemic readiness in the UK since 2010 has been a direct effect of the ideological asssault on an earlier policy consensus with even Bush junior bought into.

The Johnson insistence on regulatory divergence which is pushing us towards no deal is about several things, including financial crime, tax avoidance and money laundering.

But it is also centrally about getting rid of policies on climate action and biohazards which Koch and Putin consider contrary to their interests, and where the EU, though far from perfect, has been the biggest stone in their shoe.

‘Take it on the chin’, ‘show some guts’ - this is our PM’s retail version of the same ideology.

Put the population in harm’s way - precautions are for liberal snowflakes - and bad for oligarch sponsors’ profits.

Steve Rouse

Wroughton

Wishful thinking

Apologies to all in reference to my rant printed on Friday 3rd.

I must have had a minor senior moment according to the outlaw when I added the dates.

Before I get berated by all and sundry ie those who disagrees with everything I write and others of course it should have had the dates of 2020 and not 2021.

It must have been a touch of wishful thinking and this horror of horrors Covid-19 was at last behind us, but that's to come.

If we all follow the experts advise via the in power Government we will hopefully be finished with it in 2020 or even 2021.

Happy days to come Stay Safe

John L Crook.

Haydon Wick.

Swindon

Housing shortage not just race discrimination

Black Lives Matter believe that the current shortage of houses and jobs is caused by racial discrimination.

But the housing shortage has a far deeper cause and is more closely linked to age discrimination.

The young generation in Britain face a shortage of 4 million houses, while the older wealthier baby boomer generation mostly own their own homes.

The current recession could cause the worst drop in GDP for 400 years with a corresponding huge loss of jobs in Britain.

Superficially this might appear to be a racial problem but the shortage of houses and jobs equally affects everyone in the younger generation.

This makes the problem much more difficult to solve because age discrimination affects almost everyone under the age of 45.

Steve Halden

Beaufort Green

Swindon