Readers' letters: 'Government has gone back on its promise'

The nurses were originally promised 2.1 per cent by this Government and, just like the free TV licence for the over 75s, they have gone back on their agreement.

The one per cent they have offered will do nothing to help in recruiting nurses that are required to make up in the shortfall of thousands and thousands of staff vacancies.

Let’s face it, would you want to do a nurse’s or carer’s job knowing what they have to cope with, day in and day out?

People like ‘Boris’ redecorating his grace and favour flat to the tune of £200,000 of taxpayers’ money have absolutely no idea of the real world outside of Number

10.

And just to round off, is it me but am I the only one that is sick and tired of hearing about the Harry and Meghan saga after they did a runner from that collection of very mixed up people that we call the Royal Family?

I suspect that your average Joe and Josephine Soap couldn’t care less about any of them and if they all emigrated to Mars tomorrow and used the Mars rover Perseverance as their own personal robot butler, what possible impact would their absence make to our everyday lives?

M Tipper, Penwortham

vaccines

It should be a matter of choice

With reference to the letter, No vaccine? Is this what we can expect? (LP Letters, February 26). I totally agree with the writer stating that people have been ground down in the last year and are taking the vaccine as a route out of lockdown.

In my opinion, if you don’t want to have the vaccine that’s your choice.

No-one should be ‘blackmailed’ into it.

There is no real evidence to suggest that the coronavirus has spread through shops or restaurants, yet I hear some MPs advocating the need for ‘passports’ into any public place including shops.

So if I want to purchase a pint of milk and I haven’t had the vaccine, will I be banned from entering the shop?

I have never heard anything so utterly ridiculous.

It seems to be about control and the only winners are the big conglomerates and banks, making big money investing in the pharmaceutical companies who in turn are making millions.

It’s time we started learning from history.

Governing by diktat doesn’t work.

We are supposed to be a democracy.

If we lose that, what have we got?

J Norman

via email

Archaeology

A grave dilemma

Having just seen a promotional clip on TV for a future programme, it reminded me of something I have always wanted to ask.

The show in question was about the Valley Of The Kings in Egypt. Now, what has always puzzled me, and no doubt there is a sensible answer, is, when is it acceptable to dash off with a spade and dig someone up?

I am in awe of the splendour of many of these sites, but when someone is laid to rest, should not we just leave them?

I know that isn’t the only place. We have excavated many barrows in this country, and we have probably learnt much, but should we do it?

Possibly there is some law that says we can but I hope that in the far future nobody digs any of my folk up!

Allan Fazackerley

via email

nhs

Pay rise for staff

The people of Britain demand NHS heroes get the substantial pay rise they so richly deserve.

Boris Johnson repeatedly stood outside No 10 Downing Street and clapped for the NHS. Skilled NHS workers had protected and nursed him through his severe bout of Covid. He owed his life to the NHS nursing staff.

Now all the talk about NHS heroes has been shown to be just a meaningless smokescreen. The Government has proposed a mere one per cent increase in NHS salaries. The Government maintains they cannot afford any more. Yet they were willing to squander millions of taxpayers’ money on PPE contracts for their cronies, often those who had little or no experience in such areas, resulting too often in PPE that was simply useless.

Closer to home, Boris Johnson has spent £200,000 on redecorating 10 Downing Street.

All over Britain, people owe their lives, and those of their loved ones, to the hard working NHS staff who repeatedly risk their own lives in the battle with coronavirus. They showed their gratitude by clapping on the doorstep. Unlike Boris Johnson, they meant it. We owe our NHS heroes a huge debt of gratitude for all their sacrifices. Let’s show it with a substantial pay rise.

Andrew Milroy via email