Readers' letters - March 8

I think Theresa May is the ‘reincarnation’ of Margaret Thatcher!

How cynical can this Tory Government get?

Two independent tribunals ruled against the Government in favour of two claimants and their PIP disability benefits.

The tribunals ruled that the rules for the mobility component should also take into consideration people who suffer a mental health issue – so the Government is planning a cynical tactic to change the rules of eligibility for disability benefit PIP.

One senior Tory spokesman calls the tribunal decisions bizarre!

They call it ‘bizarre’ only because the tribunal ruled in the claimants’ favour and NOT in the Government’s.

Had the tribunal ruled in the Government’s favour, this situation wouldn’t have surfaced, and no more ‘cuts’ or ‘reform’ to PIP would even be in debate.

This saga has only risen because of two separate recent tribunal decisions.

I can just see new legislation coming in when no claimant is allowed a right of appeal against any Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) decision and that will truly be a sad day for democracy in the UK as we all know it today.

Maybe the greedy ‘money-grasping’ MPs can now justify to all of us their own ‘entitlement’ to their new pay rise?

Darryl Ashton

Address supplied

charity

Join our Great Daffodil Appeal

As we see the first daffodils of the year bloom, terminal illness charity Marie Curie is asking people of Lancashire to volunteer to collect for its Great Daffodil Appeal in March.

All you have to do is encourage people to give a donation and wear a daffodil pin, it’s that simple.

So round up your friends, family and colleagues and together we can help Marie Curie provide free confidential and practical support to more people affected by terminal illness who need it and research into better ways of caring for people living with a terminal illness.

Your local collections are at Chorley Street Collection on Saturday, March 18, Heskin Farmers’ Market and Craft Centre on Sunday, March 26 and Burscough Booths on the Saturday, March 11.

Make Every Daffodil Count and volunteer to support now: mariecurie.org.uk/daffodil or call 0800 304 7025.

For more information, please contact Sophie Yates on 01254 855031 or [email protected]

Sophie Yates

Community Fundraiser

health services

A bad sign of things to come?

Chorley and South Ribble Hospital Trust has said it is going to alter the road signs for the A&E department to reflect the fact it is only open for 12 hours a day.

Is this yet another waste of NHS funds or something far more sinister?

As it didn’t alter the signs when it was closed completely last April, is it now telling us that the current part-time opening

is to become permanent?

This is completely unacceptable by any standards, especially as the Trust has stated publicly its intention to open full time as soon as practical.

With the massive increase in housing all around the area, a permanent 24-hour A&E service is now more essential than ever.

Graham Archer

Chorley

litter

Take your bottles home

I’m sick of hearing about people getting their bowels in an uproar about our four-legged friends leaving poo and owners not removing it.

Whilst I and most owners are conscientious in this regard, may I speak for the animals? They have to dodge broken glass on pavements as uncaring two-legged beings throw their empty bottles to shatter where paws are at risk. Take your empty glass bottles home please.

Neil Kendall

via email

parking

An easier solution

What a pity Mr Rawcliffe didn’t take a few seconds to think before acting (Disabled couple ‘trapped in car’. (LP March

6)

All he had to do was reverse the car, ring for help and, whilst waiting for the attendant to come, remove the wheelchair and help his wife out of the car.

But that wouldn’t have made such a good story!

Shame on him for detracting from all the excellent work at RPH.

G D Yates

Fulwood

NOSTALGIA

Who is man at Zippy Buses?

In today’s Retro, there is a photo of the LEP’s Model Girl launching Preston’s Zippy Buses (LP March 4).

It also asks the identity of the man with her.

Now a few days ago, in conversation with my friend Frank Fitzgerald, he mentioned that occasion, and said the job was done by singer Rick Astley.

Now I wouldn’t know

Rick Astley, so is it?

ALLAN FAZACKERLEY

via email

development

Plans had been rejected twice

After proposals to build houses on Ingol Golf Course were twice turned down, with even an appeal to the Government being refused, we now have an application with the emotive headline: “A new training facility which would then ensure a promotion to Premier League”.

As far as I can see, it is a move to enable houses to be built. It is not part of the City Deal and there are currently thousands of houses being built in this area of Preston.

Concerned resident

traffic

Let’s keep our leisure centres

I think South Ribble Council should re-think its plans to spend so many millions on a new leisure centre and spend the money where it is most needed.

There is nothing wrong with the centres we already have – unlike the roads, such as Golden Hill Lane, which is full of potholes. For people like me, with back problems, this can prove to be painful.

There are cuts everywhere which would probably not be needed if the money was spent more wisely.

Angry rate payer

Leyland