Not only am I to find extra money for fuel payments this winter, but I am now also having to pay a £56 charge for the collection of my green bin.
As a 78-year-old single pensioner paying rent to a private landlord – plus utility bills, petrol, car insurance and home insurance – my savings are slowing diminishing on a daily basis.
I don’t receive any benefits. I completed a full working life and paid all the required contributions to the government in the expectation of receiving my state pension on retirement. I also paid into my company’s pension scheme.
I pay income tax on both of my pensions, which is meant to contribute to the upkeep of this country. However, I feel that nowdays all it goes towards is MPs’ salaries – MPs who have a comfortable lifestyle; who have no anxieties of being able to afford their next meal, or how they’re going to pay for their heating bills over the winter.
They have no need to find extra money to pay rent, because we’re supporting them and their comfortable lifestyles. They can take luxurious holidays in their second homes – somewhere in the country or abroad.
And what do thousands of pensioners like me get? A kick in the teeth and another promise of better things to come. A promise that holds nothing but debt – and, for many, loneliness and a very cold winter.
Bridget Bartlett
Address supplied
Net zero is compromising our country
The UK and Scottish government’s drive towards net zero targets is a misguided endeavour that places hypothetical environmental benefits above the tangible health of our nation’s economy and workforce. This aggressive policy is impractical and fundamentally harmful, threatening the livelihoods of countless individuals across both rural and urban areas.
In rural communities, the shift away from traditional energy sources jeopardises foundational industries like agriculture and fossil fuels; risking economic devastation without providing viable alternative employment opportunities. Urban areas are not spared, as small to medium-sized businesses contend with soaring operational costs due to stringent environmental regulations. These costs fuel inflation, striking hardest at those least able to afford it.
The intermittency of wind and solar power introduces an unacceptable level of risk and instability into our energy grid, undermining both personal and commercial energy security. On a global scale, the UK’s unilateral net zero ambitions place us at a stark competitive disadvantage, imposing hefty costs on our industries while international competitors operate free from such constraints.
It is time for a bold reassessment of these policies. We must reject the current trajectory and advocate for policies that prioritise the nation’s economic and social wellbeing over unattainable environmental targets.
The future of our country should not be compromised by policies that are not only ineffective but also socially and economically destructive.
Alastair Redman
Isle of Islay
Labour is choosing to weaken Israel
As someone who is represented by David Lammy in parliament, I am deeply disappointed by the government’s recent decision to partially ban arms exports to Israel, a move he announced this week. I have long supported Mr Lammy and appreciated his balanced political stance, but now it seems like the Labour government might be putting party unity ahead of doing what is morally right.
This decision sends a troubling message to the UK’s ally, Israel. While governments and leaders like Benjamin Netanyahu come and go, the choice to make Israel less secure impacts all its citizens – and implies that at a time when Israel is still struggling for its survival against numerous barbaric foes (Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, the Houthis), the British government is opting to weaken it!
This ban is likely to embolden Iran, where young people who aspire to democracy suffer under an extremist regime, as well as its proxy, Hezbollah. I find this decision particularly disturbing in light of the recent horrific murder of six Israeli civilians.
David Frencel
London
Only public ownership will save pennies
The Go-Ahead Group, Britain’s biggest rail operator – which runs Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express services – has just paid out over £80,000,000 to its owners. All are overseas in Spain, Australia and include the French National railway.
If this was owned by the public, surely the money could have been spent on improving the abysmal service we currently have to put up with?
It’s not the only example we see of this in our current society. How about South West Water? They warned people not to swim off Exmouth beach for two of the last three days due to their release of sewage. They have also paid out millions of pounds to shareholders and seem not to have spent a penny on servicing the system!
Tony Bourner
Axminster
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