Ignore Boris Johnson – Europe must remain united

Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

Boris Johnson has said that more than £350m a year will go to the NHS (AP)

What Boris chooses to forget (or dismiss) is that the retention of the UK’s contribution to the EU budget has already been “promised” to sectors other than the NHS.

Farming alone has already been promised a continuation of the £4bn per annum, support currently contributed to our farmers through the EU.

The truth is that our exit from the EU will reduce our GDP and will not contribute any additional funding for the NHS.

Our exit will accelerate the exodus of EU doctors and nursing staff from our NHS and leave the NHS with an increasing staffing problem that additional funding could not rectify.

Boris and his fellow fanatical Brexiteers will do and say anything that might justify their decision to take our nation out of a united Europe.

Those of us who voted to leave the EU have been misled with lies and promises that could never be delivered.

Britain’s place is as a reforming and leading nation within a united Europe.

A united Europe could provide the stabilising balance between Putin’s Russia and a USA under an unstable Trump, both of whom hate the prospect of a united Europe.

More than ever before, our European nations need to stay united.

Martin Deighton
Woodbridge

Finally the Government has realised that taxpayers do not have bottomless pockets

The Carillion fiasco gives absolute credibility to the saying of putting all your eggs in one basket and that of chickens coming home to roost!

It beggars belief, with the Government giving this failing firm £1.5bn of state contracts when over the past six months this giant construction firm has issued three profit warnings with its share price tumbling from £2.30 last January to less than 20p now. During this period a contract worth £1.4bn was awarded for the HS2 project – a project that no sane taxpayer desires when the rest of the rail network is in such dire straits!

What a tangled web encompassing schools, hospitals, rail, roads, armed forces, prisons, libraries and energy – what due diligence measures by the Government were undertaken before awarding contracts worth billions of taxpayers’ money – has the village idiot truly come to town?

Surely this scenario proves privatisation has been, and is nothing but a colossal scam, for who or what does Carillion compete against in gaining its contracts? The only saving grace being the Government realising taxpayers’ pockets are not a bottomless pit and there will be no offer of state aid as with the… err… appreciative banks.

Dave Haskell
Cardigan

A wish list for a better Britain

For many, it is traditional to make a wish at the new year.

If I had a magic wand, here are just a few of the wishes I would make, if such was possible.

The return of coppers on the beat.

The removal of all speed bumps.

A weekly rubbish collection.

The removal of all wind farms, as they are only a success if the wind is gently blowing.

The return of free hospital parking.

The cancellation of all high-speed train contracts.

The return of the railway lines dug up by Dr Beeching.

A return to the simple way of purchasing a railway ticket, namely, first class, second class, day return or an open ticket.

Bring back the tax disc for all motor vehicles.

No doubt my wishes will never materialise, but it is fun to dream.

Colin Bower
Sherwood

Let the young have a higher proportion of the vote

A proposal for a second referendum if one does take place. Let’s agree to recognise that the younger the voter, the longer that voter will have to live with the result. Therefore, let’s weight the votes:

Age 18-30 vote x 4

Age 31-45 vote x 3

Age 46-60 vote x 2

Age 61 and above vote x 1

Jeff Brooks (age 65)
Godalming

Small enterprises must be protected after the liquidation of Carillion

The British Woodworking Federation (BWF) represents the UK’s £3.8bn woodworking sector, a craft at the heart of the UK’s construction sector, which employs approximately 60,000 people around the country.

As the news of the liquidation of Carillion breaks, it is almost ironic that we are putting our final comments on the Government’s consultation into retention payments in the construction industry. This debate is not about whether the state should bail out Carillion, but whether Government can in all conscience turn its back on a supply chain of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) who will end up carrying the can for poor procurement, bad business management and an endemic failure by the Government to address some of the archaic procurement practices surrounding late payments and retentions that place risk unfairly on SME sub-contractors.

Many of the creditors are SMEs, and the sums, whilst likely to be significantly lower than the liquidators will take, could define the future of these businesses – it would be a gross injustice if their money unfairly held is lost in this process.

Frankly, to my mind, the Government is complicit in the sorry saga that is unfolding and we need decisions fast. In the short term we need to see some security against these retentions and unjust payment clauses. Moving forward we urge the Government to develop a structured and more consistent legislative process to deal with market failures, be it banks, construction firms or steel manufacturers. We cannot rely on arbitrary decision making and political posturing. There needs to be clear process to ensure those responsible foot the bill and ensure society and supply chains do not suffer unduly. The Government consistently fails to recognise the stress of running a small business and keeping people employed – a lot of business owners in this supply chain won’t be sleeping soundly until this is resolved.

Ian Mcllwee, CEO, British Woodworking Federation

From Russia with love

Why were RAF Typhoons scrambled from Lossiemouth to intercept Russian jets? Surely it was just some of Alex Salmond’s new besties dropping in for a cuppa?

Martin Redfern
Edinburgh