Tag: letters

Happy birthday, Tony!

A very happy birthday to Tony Delahoy, who celebrates his 95th birthday today. 

Normandy veteran Tony, who received France’s top honour, l’ Ordre National de la Légion d’honneur, in 2015, has kept the NEN supplied with a regular stream of letters for as long as I can remember.

Londoner Tony’s passion for social justice burns as brightly as it ever has and there’s no sign of the Delahoy inkwell drying up just yet, as the following letters show. Keep up the good fight, Tony!

Dear Editor

There are many people who have the skills and ability in finding solutions to problems that can and do occur everywhere: e.g. fire fighting, repairing and reconnecting electricity transmission cables, telephone cable maintenance, water supply pumping stations, sewerage and sanitation contro. The list of skills needed is indeed a very long one; these skills being supplied by ordinary working people, men and women, on a daily basis.

The whole working population also supply the knowledge and labour to produce what is needed for us to live or to exchange with goods produced by working people of other countries.

But there are times when this ability to pursue a stable life is halted by financial and individual investors deciding to close down industries that they consider not making enough profit, regardless of the devastating effect of unemployment. The knock-on effect of not having a wage can only lead to cutbacks in other industries as sales decline.

It cannot be right that such power over peoples’ lives should be in the control of investors who, in effect, are just gamblers.

Tony Delahoy

Dear Editor

Wool and Eyes

Today, the ‘in-word’ is productivity. It is said that if the volume of everything produced could be increased it would solve all our problems. But this raises the question: for whom?

Owners of industries would not doubt expect their employees to work harder or faster, with our without new technology, for the same wages. This raises the question: who would be able to buy all this extra productivity, bearing in mind that employers in other countries are doing the same thing?

So just to say that more productivity is the answer to our problems is misleading to say the least. Unless those who make the things have the ability to buy them, industries will start to decline, leading once again to an economic slump that will affect the whole population.

If this is the only plan – mainly for the benefit of the already very rich owners – then it is time this sytem of capitalism gave way … as did slavery, serfdom and feudalism throughout the long history of peoples’ struggle.

Tony Delahoy

 

Letter: Cuts, cuts, cuts

Dear Editor

The continuing cuts in public services of all kinds are taking a dreadful toll on communities throughout the UK, undoing decades of struggle to put them in place.

The continuing fall in the value of wages, particularly now given higher prices every week, should convince the majority of the working population that private ownership of major industries are incapable of any other action.

There have been slumps in varying degrees of severity, the cost of which are passed on to the population: there can be no justification for such callousness in the pursuit of profit-making by privileged financial investors.

All of this show the urgent need for public ownership of at least the essential services: energy distribution, passenger transports of bus, rail and tram, water supply and sewerage – all of these industries should be working for the benefit of all, not a few investors.

We have to move on from the failed system of private ownership; there is no logical reason or sense in not doing so.

Tony Delahoy

Sillverknowes Gardens

Letters: Marie Curie support at Christmas

Dear Editor

Christmas is a precious time for many families, but even more so for many of your readers who may be cherishing every moment they get to spend with a beloved family member living with a terminal illness.

Marie Curie will be supporting nearly 800 people living with a terminal illness in Scotland over Christmas. Across the UK, more than one million people are expected to be supporting a loved one, while facing the possibility that this could be their last together.

Caring for someone at home can be a very rewarding but also an isolating experience. For some, it will be the first Christmas without their mum, dad, husband, wife or partner, which can also be a very difficult time.

People often say that they don’t know where to turn to and don’t know what help is available to them, which is why I am writing to tell you about our free, confidential Support Line

0800 090 2309

which offers practical information and emotional support about any aspect of terminal illness, as well as offering bereavement support too.

To help everyone who may need us during the festive period, our Support Line will be open from Sunday 24 December – Tuesday 2 January.

Support Line open hours:

24 December (10am-4pm)

25-26 December (10am-2pm)

27-29 December (8am-6pm)

30 December (11am-5pm)

31 December (10am -4pm)

1 January (10am-2pm)

2 January (8am-6pm).

Additionally, our trained Support Line Officers are also on hand to offer support via our online chat service at mariecurie.org.uk/support.

With best wishes,

Eamon O’Kane,

Marie Curie Divisional General Manager Caring Services

Marie Curie Hospice, Glasgow. Balornock Road, Glasgow G21 3US

 

Letters: Lonely this Christmas

Dear Editor

Many people with the chronic, neurological condition M.E. tell us they feel very lonely and isolated at this time of year, particularly those who live alone with no family or friends to share the festivities with. A visit, phone call or simply a thoughtful card from a friend could make a positive difference – so if you know someone with M.E., let them know you are thinking of them this festive season.
If you have M.E. and you need information and support, call us on 0117 927 9551 (we’re here until 4pm on 22 December, and re-open on 3 January), or join one of our friendly online forums, open 24/7. You can also read advice from Rose, who has M.E., in her article on coping with Christmas alone at www.actionforme.org.uk/alone-at-xmas
Sonya Chowdhury
Chief Executive
Action for M.E.
42 Temple Street,
Keynsham BS31 1EH

Letters: Tears

Dear Editor

My tears are for all children, women and man who are suffering extreme poverty and starvation

My tears are for all animals, birds and wildlife

My tears are because of all the cruelty and the destruction of trees and natural habitat

But my tears are not tears of despair, they are tears of knowing how different things could be.

We have allowed a relatively few powerful financial organisations to control and exploit – with unbelievable callousness – people, animals and the natural environment for their private profit: these same people having created the biggest financial mess ever seen worldwide and are now passing it on to everyone.

This ‘system’ must be changed. Wealth created by the work of people must be used for the benefits of all people: we would then be able to deal with all these terrible problems.

A.Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens

Letters: Cuts, cuts and more cuts

Dear Editor

The continuing cuts in public services of all kinds are taking a dreadful toll on communities throughout the UK, undoing decades of struggle to put them in place.

The continuing fall in the value of wages, particularly now with higher prices every week, should convince the majority of the working population that private ownership of major industries are incapable of any other action.

There have been slumps in varying degrees of severity, the cost of which being passed on to the population; there can be no justification for such callousness in the pursuit of profit-making by privileged financial investors.

All of this show the urgent need for public ownership of at least the essential services: energy distributors, passenger transport (rail, bus and tram), water supply and sewerage – all of these industries should be working for the benefit of ALL, not a few investors.

We have to move on from the failed system of private ownership: there is no logical reason or sense in not doing so.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens

Letters: Unity is strength

Dear Editor

Capitalism, the system under which we live, constantly tries to retain control over the population. The ways of doing this are many, as a reading of history will show: a catalogue of land thieving, forced clearances, draconian laws and the prosecution of those who resisted. A policy of ‘divide and rule’ always was, and still is, the main tactic.

A recent example, the financial collapse of 2008, is blamed on the Labour Party, dividing organised political resistance against the savage cuts in public services and wages. It is now admitted that the financial crisis was worldwide caused by the banking industry.

From 2010 divide and rule was stepped up,with people not in work accused of being skivers and scroungers. It was then extended to disabled people and those who for many reasons were unable to work, having to claim benefits on which to live. They were then subjected to an assessment on their fitness to work by a private company – despite their having medical certification.

The housing shortage is partly blamed on people occupying a house or flat deemed to have spare rooms, and now this is followed by stories of elderly people being financially better off at the expense of younger generations.

All these example, and many more, are designed to set one against another, making unity more difficult.

To counter this we must show that there are many issues common to everyone, to get people thinking and acting again in a positive manner and making these issues work for the benefit of all.

We all need energy supplies, water and utilities, and a good reliable public transport system. It is not right that these essential services are mainly privately-owned, instead of being run for the benefit of all.

Unity, not division, will change things. There is so much on which to unite, making progress to a better life for all.

A. Delahoy, Silverknowes Gardens

Letters: For the many, not the few

Dear Editor

The working population has always been under pressure struggling to defend and improve their lives and the lives of those dependent on them. The pressure comes from the system of private ownership of industries that operates to maximise profits for individuals and organisations of investors.

The Labour movement, in all it’s forms, has battled against this with notable success, raising the quality of lives and expectations. These expectations should be reflected by the actions of our parliamentarians, but many are supporters of the existing system of private control and ownership and will not support major changes.

Labour Party policy must be to identify essential issues around which maximum unity of public pressure can be built, for example:

  • To exist, everyone needs electricity, gas and water supplies yet these essential industries are mostly privately owned.
  • To get from home and back to work, rail, bus and tram services are essential; they are also needed for shopping and leisure activities and should be operated for the benefit of all, not to make a profit for investors.

People do expect to pay a fair price for these services but extracting millions and millions of pounds from these industries is totally wrong, particularly when so many people are struggling to pay for the essentials of life.

The campaign to build maximum unity on these and other issues to progress the changes necessary must be a priority for the Labour movement, for no one else will.

It can be done.

A.Delahoy,

Silverknowes Gardens

Letters: Don’t let greed destroy our precious public services

Dear Editor

Every day all over the UK people get prepared to go to work; it is a necessity to earn an income to sustain themselves and those who depend on them. Whether they work as part of a team or as an individual, production or management, they all work. The only exception to this, in the main, are people or organisations who have money to invest to make more money out of those who do work.

People need many essential services to carry on with their lives. At home: electricity, gas, water and sewerage. To get to their place of work they need passenger transport : bus, tram, rail, etc. – yet most of these services are privately owned, a veritable goldmine for those who are able to invest.

All of the services mentioned above relate to just work, but work is not all in life: they have a direct effect on our ability to have social and leisure time, visiting family and friends, taking part in sport, shopping or enjoying the countryside:, in fact, living.

All of these services must be operated for the benefit of all.

How can it be right that the extraction of millions and millions of pounds from those services are taken by investors? It is greedy and immoral and cannot be justified in any way.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens