Readers' letters

One reader says they arent interested in what happens to Bake-Off and its stars Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry (pictured)

I have heard that there are new nuclear plans for another site after Hinkley.

Ministers pay lip service to the need for a mix of power generation technologies, but they have been cutting investment in renewables while handing a blank cheque to nuclear.

Offshore wind costs are, in contrast to nuclear, falling and could offer cheaper low carbon power.

Nuclear is hugely expensive – a £30bn subsidy will be handed to the French in addition to what we customers pay.

It’s dangerous with cancer clusters, nuclear accidents like Fukushima, and still no safe way to store nuclear waste.

We are burdening future generations with an environmental and social disaster that cannot be compensated for with the expensive electricity the plant will produce.

Instead of putting Britain’s consumers in hock for a lifetime to EDF, politicians should be more imaginative and invest in renewables, including tidal power with a view to improving reliability and reducing costs.

Energy provision in the UK is based on the false premise that private sector competition between members of a cartel underwrites efficiency.

What is needed is a decentralised, publicly-owned, realistic energy approach putting consumers not shareholders centre stage.

Royston Jones,

Address supplied

Fighting an illegal war?

It has now been acknowledged that a British drone was involved in the ‘accidental killing’ of 62 Syrian soldiers, accusations are being made that once again Britain is at risk of fighting an illegal war in the Middle East.

At the same time, former Prime Minster David Cameron has been slammed by the Foreign Affairs Select Committee for carrying out “an opportunistic policy of regime change in Libya” which has made matters worse, not better. Mr Cameron should be held to account.

The likes of former Labour MPs David Miliband and Neil Kinnock, who have made such a good standard of living out of being members of the Labour Party, should also be speaking out too instead of perpetually making criticism of Jeremy Corbyn and his supporters.

John Appleyard via email

I’m not bothered about Bake Off

Paul Hollywood to follow Bake Off and the money to Channel 4, Mary Berry to stay with the BBC and a couple of female presenters I’ve never heard of standing down from the show.

Am I the only person in this country to have never watched the programme? I don’t really care if it is ever screened again on whatever channel or care whether the ‘stars’ who work on it end up signing on the dole.

Paul Morley,

Address supplied

Sparrows have flown away

Regarding the letter from Mr RC Carter (LEP September 19). I have been feeding lots of sparrows in my garden all summer long. About two weeks ago I noticed that the food I put out wasn’t being eaten and all the sparrows had gone. I miss them.

Dawn Keeling via email

Lib Dems are irrelevant now

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron says his party are stronger than ever. Shouldn’t that be the Lib Dems are much more irrelevant than before? Is Tim Farron now a comedian?! At least he makes me laugh with his party policies!

Darryl Ashton, Backpool