Tag: letters

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

 

Letters: drivers should take a hard look at themselves

Dear Editor

Drivers who are moaning and groaning about a restriction on ‘them’ having to observe a speed limit should take a hard look at themselves and their reasons for objecting.

Driving in a city can be one of potential risk to pedestrians and drivers alike – except that drivers have a two ton object in their hands travelling at speed.

There are very few times whilst driving in the city when one is able to travel more than a few hundred yards before having to stop, yet some drivers feel it is their personal right to travel those few hundred yards as fast as they wish, causing hazardous conditions for all, just to save a few seconds of their precious time.

That is why I say: those drivers should take a hard look at themselves and their attitude to others.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens

Letters: Remember, remember

Dear Editor,

After years of relentless hostility to the Labour Party and in particular to Jeremy Corbyn, under rules for the election campaign equal coverage had to be given. Up to that point the Tories thought they had successfully destroyed both and the election would be a walkover.

When the Labour Party policies were able to be presented clearly to the people with
their intention to end the continuing disastrous Tory cuts in social services and
the value of wages the people listened and liked it. They also understood the only way to do this was to vote, and they did in their hundreds and hundreds of
thousands .just a whisker away from defeating the Tories and all they stand for
all they have done to us, and intend to do.

The anti Labour/ Jeremy Corbyn has already started again, hoping people will again
fall for it: we just have to remember what the Tories have done to us over 7 years.

A. Delahoy,
Silverknowes Gardens, Edinburgh

Letters: Enough is enough

Dear Editor

Do not be taken in by the Tories who say, hand on heart, ‘we will put wokers interests first’ if elected.

We know to our cost over the last seven years just how much they care by freezing our wages, imposing drastic cuts in funding for essential services and making scapegoats of unemployed and disabled people.

On June the 8th everyone has the opportunity to vote them out for all they have done and intend to do to us. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Tony Delahoy (by email)

Letter: Time to ditch the Tories

Dear Editor

When voting on June 8th everyone should remember that many things we take for granted had to be struggled for by ordinary people. The formation of our NHS. The reduction of the working week to 5 days. The entitlement to paid annual leave. The entitlement to sick pay. Health and Safety at Work Act.

These and many others were put into place by a Labour Government campaigned for by the Labour Movement, Trade Unions and Cooperatives.

All these improvements were made in spite of fierce opposition by the Conservatives.

We now have had 7 years of Tory control making drastic cuts not only in the value of our wages but also on the many services that are essential to most people. The Tories have said they intend to continue making cuts over the next 5 years if elected. Even our NHS on which at times we all rely is being ground down in many ways.

We must ensure on June 8th the Tories get the message: You are not wanted, we have had enough of cuts.

A.Delahoy (by email)

Letters: Don’t fall for five more years of Tory havoc

Dear Editor,

In the last few years there has been a relentless anti – Labour/ Jeremy Corbyn campaign waged by those who control information from the press or other media. This is based on the well tried method that if you repeat something over and over again some people will start to believe it, in effect being told what to think and how to act.

The whole advertising industry works on that principal spending millions of pounds doing so, this principal also applies to the information industry. If the Labour Party and Jeremy Corbyn are not electable as they claim, the question must be asked, why have they conducted such a sustained campaign? Could it be that given equal unbiased coverage of the Labour policy that speaks for the vast majority of people, they would be elected?

Working people rely for their existence on having secure employment without which poverty beckons, and having had the experience of the last 7 years of Tory control this threat is always present.

The financial crisis of 2008 was not caused by the working population but by Banks and Financial Institutions, the working population is having to pay for it.

People have been fooled in the past to give their vote to the Tories, it would be a disaster to give them another five years to continue their dreadful havoc on our lives.

A. Delahoy (by email)

 

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.