Tag: letters

Lettters: Brickbats and bouquets

Dear Editor

The outgoingCity of Ediburgh Council received many justified Brickbats for some policy decisions. They also deserve Bouquets for others, for example:-

Planting new trees in the spaces where very old trees have had to be removed all along the dual carriage
of Muirhouse & Silverknowes Parkway, for All of us now and future generations to see their beauty.

The second bouquet is for the decision to restrict vehicle speed in the City to a sensible limit for the benefit
of all who live and work here. The only people who are put out are those who think it is their right to drive as they wish regardless of the danger to others.

Well done the Council!

Tony Delahoy (by email)

 

Letters: It’s got to be Labour

Dear Editor

The unrelenting campaign against Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party generated by the press and television
is a calculated effort to divide and confuse people: division has always been the way to control people.

Since 2010 it has been a main focus and resulted in the coalition between the Conservatives and Liberals, those 5 years did tremendous damage to the living standards of most families.

Since 2015 the Conservatives have continued to make more severe cuts in most public services and
drastically restricted wages and say they will continue to do so.

Despite divisive tactics people at the last general election did elect a huge number of Labour MP’s, about 240,
so the possibility of electing more this time and defeating the Conservatives is very real but only if the divide
and rule tactic is resisted and avoid another coalition.

People have had over 7 years of paying for the financial crisis not of their making, it is time to stop being
taken in and support the only organisation, the Labour Party, who are in a position to defeat the Conservatives.

A. Delahaoy, Silverknowes Gardens

A letter from Ben Fogle: Call to find green ambassadors in primary schools

Dear Editor

I was fortunate enough to spend much of my childhood outside – from making mud pies with friends to exploring the beautiful countryside with my parents. My love for nature and the environment is something I now share with my own children.

I am passionate that all young people should have the chance to explore their connections with nature – and I want to celebrate those who are already going above and beyond for our planet. That’s why, as a WWF ambassador and keen environmentalist, I’m proud to be involved in the Green Ambassador Awards this year.

Along with WWF and People’s Postcode Lottery, I’m on a quest to find sustainability champions within UK primary schools. The Green Ambassador Awards are a great opportunity to recognise the pupils, teachers and schools that put the environment at the heart of what they do. That’s why I’m calling on schools, teachers, parents and children to help us find those champions who are going above and beyond to help protect the planet.

As we rapidly approach the deadline for these prestigious awards, we are seeking inspirational green ambassadors across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The winners and the runners up will be presented with their awards at special events at their schools during the summer. The lucky School award winners will each receive £1000, and the runners up £500, to help boost the green projects, thanks to players of People Postcode Lottery

To find out more and to enter the Green Ambassador Awards, visit: wwf.org.uk/gaawards17

Children really are the future. Connecting them with nature and inspiring them to protect our environment is crucial and indeed, they can inspire us all to do even more too.

Yours faithfully,

Ben Fogle

The deadline for entries is Monday 8 May.

 

 

Letters: Life or death problems can’t be solved by capitalism

Dear Editor

The working population rightly expect the wealth they produce by their efforts to give them and their families a fair and comfortable life. It is also essential the population has work stability. But we know to our cost every so often a crisis appears and sets everyone back: why does this happen? What are the causes?

The system under which we all live is capitalism, where in the main most of the economy and decision-making is in private hands – so the causes of failure and crisis is theirs, not ours.

In our system of democracy the right to elect Parliament to represent us now happens every five years and against the heavy odds and power of the mainly privately-owned press than can and does manipulate opinion, very many good people have been elected to change the failing system.

Many people are also elected to maintain the capitalist system at all costs, despite past evidence of crisis after crisis: either they are unable to understand or feel the damage they cause, or they have a vested interest in the existing system.

On a national scale it is a disaster for the working population, on an international scale it is extremely dangerous to peacce and the co-operation needed to deal with world problems of climate change, water, food and energy supplies. These life or death problems can be solved – but not by putting profit above everything.

A. Delahoy, Silverknowes Gardens

Letters: Politicians must support public services

Dear Editor,

Despite the difficulties in the lives of working people of rising prices, restricted incomes and job insecurity, they will resist gross injustices done to others.

This is the real character and humanity of working people who are subject to continuous pressure from the system under which they live to just look after themselves and to believe “ there is no such thing as society”

How can working people express their humanity from their own shrinking resources? The head and heart are willing but the resources are not there: but, in other ways it can be done that would help everyone.

The disgraceful, disgusting situation of working people not being able to pay for adequate electricity or gas supplies for heating cooking and lighting whilst millions and millions of pounds are paid to shareholders in these private companies. These industries should be publicly owned and managed for the benefit of everyone is one such way.

The same should also apply to passenger transport, rail, bus and tram, these essential services are needed by working people to access their places of work. They are not a luxury, they are also important for social and leisure activity.

All these measures can benefit everyone and can be done, expressing humanity in operation. All MP’s, MSP’s and Councillors should be pressured to support and work for this.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens

Letters: Save our local services

Dear Editor

Cuts in funding for services affect people differently; most are appalled at the frequency and the damage it is doing to the local social fabric. But, as always, it is those who most in need of services are denied them, with all the consequences including further isolation within the community.

Pilton Equalities Project (PEP), an organisation based in North Edinburgh, runs many services for local people including:

  • Five day care clubs
  • Classes and activities in computer training, arts and crafts and literacy and numeracy
  • Cooking
  • A mental health issues group

These activities are attended by approximately 200 people each week.

PEP minibuses pick up from and return people to their homes; all the buses are staffed with volunteer escorts. Up to 80 other volunteers help throughout the week with other activities.

Funding cuts from the city council or Scottish Government will hit the provision of these services and the very people who are most in need.

PEP makes every effort in appealing to various social and charitable organisations for grants and support to keep these vital services going, but it is not sustainable in the long run if funding cuts continue.

PEP’s volunteers carried out 13,000 hours volunteering for local people in 2016, adding greatly to the quality of life and indeed their health.

As one of those volunteers, the reason for this letter is to raise public understanding of how serious are repeated cuts in funding for local services. With the best will and efforts, volunteers cannot operate on insufficient funding for their organisation.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens

Letters: Words and Deeds

Dear Editor

Actions by the Tory-led governments of 2010 and 2015 to deal with the financial crisis – caused not by the people, but by banks and financial institutions – was to immediately pass the debt onto the majority of people by restricting wages and reducing funding for services of all kinds.

They also launched a tremendous appeal to the people, assuring them that ‘we are all in this together’. This worked for a while but very quickly their tactic of ‘divide and rule’ was brought into play, blaming sections of the population for being scroungers or skivers, the disabled, those on benefits (particularly those on housing benefit), etc. to justify further cuts in wages and essential services.

After more than six years, people were seeing through their talk of a ‘big society’ and ‘all in this together’ speeches  and began to realise they had been conned. This posed a threat to the continuation of Tory control, so out went David Cameron and in came Theresa May, who said in her first speech as PM she would do things differently, make changes to bring about a more just society and again making a Tory appeal for support from the people. She even claimed the Tories are now the party for working people!

This puts into context the continuous attack on Jeremy Corbyn in the press, in Parliament and other sections of the media. The Tories know his ability to speak the language of working people and therefore his capability of winning an election: this, the Tories fear.

The millions and millions of people who have seen and felt the difference between the words and deeds of the Tories must now reawaken nationwide activity and campaign to make real changes to our society.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens

Letters: Public support for truly public services

Dear Editor

One of the problems and difficulties most working people have is making ends meet. In most cases, and for many years, wages have been heavily restricted but prices have risen and local services have been repeatedly cut back.

It is no wonder people are searching about for solutions, or in some cases someone to blame. The press, television, etc. have entered the fray in a devisive way, fuelling the blame game on individuals or groups, not dealing with the basic causes of being unable to manage.

To survive, everyone needs electricity and/or gas supplies for heating, cooking and lighting – yet the main supply of these basic needs are in the hands of just six companies who extract millions upon millions of pounds for shareholders: money that could be used by the industries to benefit everyone.

This is a crazy way to run essential services; one most people would agree should be changed.

To survive, most people need transport by rail, bus or tram to access their workplace, paying high fares to do so. Again, these essential services are mostly operated by private companies – and again, most people would agree this should be changed.

These two industries, energy supplies and passenger transport, should operate for the benefit of all. Millions of people would agree with this and vote for it.

The Conservative Party and UKIP will never put working people before the shareholders, the Labour Party would and will do so. This puts the real reason for the non-stop anti-Labour, anti-Jeremy Corbyn campaign into perspective.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens

Letter: Tories will never be the People’s Party

Dear Editor

Letter: Words and Deeds

Dear Editor,

Actions by the Tory-led governments of 2010 and 2015 to deal with the financial crisis (caused not by the people, but by banks and financial institutions) was to immediately pass the debt onto the majority of people by restricting wages and reducing funding for services of all kinds.

They also launched a tremendous appeal to the people assuring them  that “we are all in this together”, this worked for a while but very quickly their tactic of divide and rule was brought into play, blaming sections of the population  being scroungers and or skivers, the Disabled, those on benefits, particularly those on Housing benefit etc, to justify further cuts in wages and essential services.

After over 6 years, people were seeing through their talk of “ a big society “ and “ all in this together “ speeches and began to realise they had been conned. This posed a threat to the continuation of Tory control, so out went David Cameron, and in came Theresa May saying in her first speech she would do things differently, make changes to bring about a more just society and again making a Tory appeal for support from the people, claiming that the Tories are now the party for working people.

This puts into context the continuous attack on Jeremy Corbyn in the press, in Parliament and other sections of the media. The Tories know his ability to speak the language of working people and therefore his capability of winning an election: this, the Tories fear.

The millions and millions of people who have seen and felt the difference between the words and deeds of the Tories must now re-awaken nationwide activity and campaign to make real changes to our society.

A Delahoy,

Silverknowes Gardens,