Readers' letters - March 11

A reader has had his operation cancelled because of the medics strike. See letter

I had a call from the Orthopaedics Department at Royal Preston Hospital to cancel my appointment due to the junior doctors’ strike.

Whilst disappointed, I am fully supportive of the junior doctors’ action after they had their new contracts imposed upon them.

It makes me think of the terrible times when the landowners and mill owners, in the 18th and 19th centuries, made their workers work all day in appalling conditions for very little wages.

I must add that they were the days before trade unions.

Trade unions these days think very carefully before calling strike action and the union is correct in opposing the newly crowned ‘dictator’ Jeremy Hunt and his Tory Government.

I hope everyone understands that the junior doctors are standing up to him and fully supports them in obtaining a fair and more importantly negotiated settlement.

Tony Monks, Fulwood, Preston

Is Government too spineless?

Has a creeping form of spinelessness affected many of our cabinet ministers since joining the EEC 40 years ago?

And is our current Government capable of governing Britain without the help of the EU?

Remarks made by Philip Hammond recently, that we were so deeply entrenched in the EU for the last 40 years that we would be unable to exist outside the EU made my blood run cold.

Just how much authority, control, industry and power has Britain surrendered since 1973?

First of all, the Chancellor handed over much of his financial powers to the Bank of England – later followed by the majority of our gold reserves at a knock down price to the EU.

Virtually all our industries, utilities and media companies were encouraged to sell out to foreign buyers.

As for football clubs, managers and players – let’s not even go there!

The present Government is the outcome of the last 40 years in the EU.

My immediate and real concerns are the many thousands of immigrants currently pouring into the continent – for in the very near future they will be ‘breaking into Britain by land, sea and air’.

Will Cameron and his cronies have the guts to repel them, or will he meekly, once again, follow his instructions from across the Channel?

Good job Cameron wasn’t around in 1939!

Harvey Carter, Newton

Fair day’s pay for fair day’s work

Lord Rose, head of the campaign to keep Britain in the European Union, may think that higher wages for low skilled workers is ‘not necessarily a good thing’ but many would disagree.

It is because of mass uncontrolled immigration from EU countries that wages have been pushed down to the minimum, leaving many British families struggling to survive.

They would be delighted to have their wages increased, especially if they no longer had to rely on tax credits and decide whether to heat or eat.

I’m afraid Lord Rose’s comments throw into sharp relief the great divide between the very wealthy elite and the rest of the country who count the days to pay day, not sitting in the parlour counting out the money.

Having plenty of cheap unskilled and low skilled workers from wherever in the globe obviously suits big business, but it does not suit the rest of us who just want a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.

Only by leaving the EU can we take back control over our country and give our workers the best possible wages.

Paul Nuttall, UKIP North West MEP and deputy party leader

Bible: Risks of using mediums

In response to Brian Ellis’s article, Hardly a soul going to spiritualist church (LEP March 7), the Bible warns us not to consult a spiritualist medium (Deuteronomy 18: 9-13).

The reason is that ‘familiar spirits’ impersonate the dead and convey information to relatives.

Although accurate, it is not from their dead relatives, but from counterfeit spirits tricking people into believing it is genuine.

Some people have experienced side-effects, for example, hearing voices (Kentish Times – Bexleyheath/Welling Observer, April 25, 1985).

May I advise people to check out www.reachouttrust.org/

for further information.

Paul Johnson via email

A case of double standards

In a national newspaper last week, there was a report saying a Christian was kicked out of his university for voicing his opinion on Facebook about opposing gay marriage, yet the queen of England is opposed to gay marriage and nothing is said to her. It just goes to show the double standards in England.

How absolutely despicable are the ‘politically correct’ stupid laws in this country. What about ‘what’s good for the goose is good for the gander?’

Name and address supplied