Letters

1000s standing up for the NHS

Tuesday, 24 August 2010 09:54 | Written by Rose Smith |

Sir,

The government wants to use the budget deficit as an excuse to make massive changes to the NHS. Experts have warned that these plans are a big threat to our services and will lead to privatisation of the NHS. Old Tory dreams of privatising the health service could finally come true.

No one voted for this.

During the election, David Cameron told us the NHS was "safe in his hands". But now, Cameron thinks he has the momentum to push through an extreme programme with the backing of hardliners and private health companies. Together we can make him think again.

Right now the government is weighing up how much they can get away with. How deep can they cut? How much privatisation can they force through at the same time? We can't leave this debate to politicians. If thousands of us get together now and sign the pledge to stand up for the NHS, they'll know just how many people don't want to see our health service torn to pieces.

Sign the pledge to stand up for the NHS by clicking here:
http://www.38degrees.org.uk/protect-the-NHS

Yours sincerely,

David Babbs

The Proms

Thursday, 19 August 2010 10:05 | Written by Rose Smith |

Sir,

The sickening sight of the EU flag draped over the organ area of the Royal Albert Hall, around Sir Henry Wood's bust, at the Proms when the " E U Youth Orchestra ", ( paid for with our taxes) gave a spectacular concert underlines the restrictive practises of Brussels.

All over the country, music departments in schools and colleges are hard pressed to purchase music and instruments for pupils keen to learn to perform on them. Budgets are slashed, the curriculum being heavily supervised politically so that young people are taught what the bureaucrats want them to be taught.

" Young people don't want this sort of thing these days " is the frequent cry we hear. " They only want pop ".
Music depts in some schools have vanished completely.

This is absolute rubbish as many young people have a yearning to learn the piano, string and woodwind instruments, organ, singing and so on.

The Proms are one of the greatest British innovations that this country has ever produced. How typical of Brussels to wade in like this.

There was a huge outcry against the EU flag being electronically superimposed over the Albert Hall backdrop last year in the prom season, so much so that it was withdrawn.

It is clear what is happening. Suppress the teaching of music to our young people so the EU can muscle in with our money and give young people the opportunities which our own educational system appears to lack.

No !

Instead of sending up to £60 million per day to Brussels, we must broaden the curriculum so all subjects, including music, are taught. Then, our young people can pursue the arts ( in all forms ) as they choose. We can have the best performers to keep our orchestras and choirs at the top of the range. No longer should we have to go cap in hand to Brussels to beg funding to keep orchestras and choirs going.

All the young performers at the Albert Hall were superb, and tremendously welcome. Why are we not doing this ourselves, and inviting musicians from other countries to join us?

Stuart Guppy

UKIP St. Ives & Isles of Scilly Branch

Last Updated (Thursday, 19 August 2010 10:11)

G&S and UKIP Suits Me

Wednesday, 11 August 2010 18:23 | Written by Alec Yates |

SIR – I read today that Jonathan Miller disparages Gilbert and Sullivan as “UKIP set to music” (report, August 10). How right he is. As the libretto of HMS Pinafore says: “I, humble, poor, and lowly born,

The meanest in the port division
The butt of epauletted scorn
The mark of quarter-deck derision
Have dared to raise my wormy eyes
Above the dust to which you’d mould me,
In manhood’s glorious pride to rise,
I am an Englishman, behold me!”

Good natured, humorous, pomposity-pricking, but with serious intent, and, above all, proud to be English. Suits me.

Godfrey Bloom MEP (UKIP)
Brussels

Published in the Daily Telegraph 11th August 2010

Last Updated (Wednesday, 11 August 2010 18:28)

Think about this...

Saturday, 07 August 2010 12:17 | Written by Rose Smith |

Sir,

Think about this:
1. Cows
2. The Constitution
3. The Ten Commandments

COWS
Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that during the mad cow epidemic, our government could track a single cow, born in Bourne almost three years ago, right to the stall where she slept in the county of Lincolnshire ?
And, they even tracked her calves to their stalls.
But they are unable to locate 25,000 illegal immigrants wandering around our country.
Maybe we should give each of them a cow.

THE BRITISH CONSTITUTION
They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq
Why don't we just give them ours?

It was drawn up by a lot of really smart guys, it has worked for over 200 years, And we're not using it anymore

THE 10 COMMANDMENTS

The real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments posted in a courthouse or Parliament, is this --you cannot post'Thou Shalt Not Steal', 'Thou Shalt Not CommitAdultery' and 'Thou Shall Not Lie' in a building full of Lawyers, judges and politicians ..... It creates a hostile work environment.

Norman, Cornwall.

Appalled at the state of `once great nation`

Wednesday, 04 August 2010 18:02 | Written by Rose Smith |

Sir,

We read nearly everyday that someone is cheating on benefits and getting away by paying back - in one case, £1 back. This is after taking about £4,000 and just because she had no money. Has she ever heard of working for a living to pay it back?

Now, we hear that foreign police are going to be over in this country spying around.

What a state this once great country is in, just through leaders past and present just thinking about their own pockets, and not running the country for everyone.

The gap between rich and poor is forever widening.

R. Davy. Launceston

Last Updated (Wednesday, 04 August 2010 18:14)

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