Our readers from across the county give their weekly take on the biggest issues impacting Kent and beyond.
Some letters refer to past correspondence which can be found by clicking here. Join the debate by emailing letters@thekmgroup.co.uk
Don’t expect traffic wardens to make allowances
Sid Anning describes himself as “a reasonable sort of person” and then goes on to label a traffic warden who was doing his job properly as a “jobsworth”!
He seems to think people over 80 should be exempt from laws and regulations that everyone else has to observe, on account of their age and attendant problems.
There are more than three million people over the age of 80 in the UK. Do the maths, Sid!
Michael Charles
Left-wing governments have ruled by fear
Bill Ridley suggests that Colin Bullen needs to get his facts straight (letters Feb 20) and that the Nazis were not from the violent left.
I would suggest that it is Mr Ridley who needs to dig a bit deeper into history; the clue is in the name, the NSDAP, the National Socialist German Workers Party. And if we look at the policies pursued, take-over of the unions, secret police, control of youth groups, incarceration of those who don’t or won’t fit in and a rule of fear. All these and more are symptomatic of a socialist government; communism is only socialism taken to its logical conclusion.
Where we struggle in the 21st century is that the terms left and right have become debased and are not used in a political sense; ‘right’ for example is never used without the adjectives ‘extreme’ or ‘far’ being added.
This is the one example where socialism has actually triumphed, by successfully branding the Nazis as “right-wing”. It has allowed the political commentariat to brand all right-wing views as fascist – another misused term. Only Mussolini was actually a fascist leader and he was deposed democratically, which tells you something about the grip of fascism.
Politically the gap between left and right is that socialism, the left, believes it knows what is best for people and that is best achieved by state control and the right, conservatism, believes that largely people are best left alone to make their own decisions about their lives.
In a democracy there is a balance struck and therein lies the debate, to what extent should the state intervene; every government we elect in the west has to address this balancing act in the knowledge that if it gets it wrong it will be dismissed at the next election.
Bob Britnell
Traditional values are not always the best
I am always impressed by Mr Bullen’s increasingly vituperative outpourings.
Being of the same generation and of the same historical interests, he probably feels confused and disheartened, as I do, by modern times. However, this may well be due to our age rather than a fundamental shift in the earth’s axis.
What does amaze me however is his naivety.
A glaring example is his claim that what differentiates the right wing from fascism is that all the right wing wants is a restoration of traditional values and virtues with a strong appeal to patriotism. But surely if one listened to any of the 20th century dictators they would have declared their aims as the same.
All too often patriotism becomes strident nationalism and traditional values are more exclusive than inclusive.
I am sure he would be happier if he were to recall what his mother probably told him – that is to try and change that which he can and not to fret about those he can’t.
Martin Chandler
Stop watching if you hate the BBC
Two quick points in response to Colin Bullen’s letter last week:
The National Socialist Democratic Workers Party (the Nazis) were no more left wing than they were democratic. To repeat that slur is lazy and reduces any merit his other opinions might have.
Also, if Mr Bullen hates the BBC so much, could I suggest he simply stops watching it? Other sources of misinformation more aligned with his views are available.
Dave Wilson
Restore armed forces to stop Putin attacking us
Does humanity never learn the lessons of history? The failure of Munich in 1938, when Britain and France betrayed Czechoslovakia to Hitler, when that unhappy country was kept out of the room, showed that appeasement of expansionist dictators is futile. The result was the carnage of the Second World War.
Yet here we are again. The USA is apparently intending to betray Ukraine, banning the latter from the negotiations, as it seeks to reset relations with Putin, something which will only encourage him to continue his relentless campaign to undermine the Western democracies.
In the nearly 80 years since the end of the German war we have come close, on a number of occasions, to nuclear armageddon, but the logic of mutually assured destruction prevented the worst happening.
However, we now face the possibility that Russia could rebuild its conventional forces to the point where, without American help, their tanks might roll westwards, so that, just as Tsar Alexander I famously watered his horses in the Seine in March 1814, as Napoleon fell for the first time, so might we see Russian forces at the Channel coast, this time with a stronger Navy than ours.
As it maybe that we may soon face an America retreating into isolation we must largely abandon massive expenditure on the welfare state, and move to a wartime position, re-industrialising at pace, obtaining as much of our energy from our own resources as possible, and restoring the Armed Forces to a level which would deter Putin from attacking. If we do not then we face defeat, and a shameful conquest, brought about by our refusal to face reality.
Colin Bullen
Misjudged attempt to boost economy
The cost-of-living crisis is still with us and hasn’t shown any signs of abating despite the change in government.
But I fear the worst is yet to come when Rachel Reeves’ budget takes hold in April when the National Insurance increases.
It’s difficult to remember a time when the UK’s economy wasn’t in a parlous state and people had money in their pockets to spend.
There was one episode in our recent history which I cannot reflect on without causing me to smile.
This was during another downturn in the economy following the devaluation of the pound in 1967.
The marketing director of Colt Ventilation and Heating Ltd, sent out a memo saying the balance of payments deficit would soon disappear if workers put in a five-and-a-half day week, with no extra pay.
Secretaries in the head office in Surbiton who saw the memo, were on board with the request, and so, the ‘Backing Britain’ campaign began to sweep the nation.
The then Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, supported the project though the unions weren’t onside.
All kinds of public figures got involved, including Bruce Forsyth who made a record to further the cause. The Poet Laureate even composed a special poem.
People were encouraged to spend, spend, spend and buy British goods.
But the campaign took a blow when it was revealed that the official T-shirts were made in Portugal!
By August 1968, the campaign had fizzled out. The ‘I’m Backing Britain’ record managed to sell only 7,319 copies.
It was a rash attempt to get the economy back on its feet by rallying the public to make sacrifices, in the name of patriotism.
Michael Smith
Climate threatens the future of our food
The consultation on the government’s proposed Land Use Strategy has recently begun.
This will deal with optimising land for infrastructure, biodiversity and food security.
Farmers know that food security and their own financial viability is already being increasingly detrimentally affected by climate change. Two years ago, the NFU reported that climate change is arguably the greatest challenge facing the stability and long-term sustainability of global food production and British farmers facing increasingly frequent weather extremes.
The weather since has proved to be even more unpredictable: 2023 was the seventh wettest year on record for the UK in the series from 1836. Five of the ten wettest years for the UK since 1836 have occurred in the 21st Century.
The unprecedented rainfall in 2023 continued into February and March 2024 preventing the drilling of cereal crops. In terms of wheat, barley and oilseed rape alone this resulted in a loss of revenue of nearly £890m in 2024 relative to 2023.
The 2024 potato harvest was hit by excessive rains leading to widespread rot. It has been considered that the autumn and winter storm rainfall in the UK and Ireland was made about 20% heavier by human-caused climate change.
Climate change is already putting at risk our food security but the risk is increasing and, in the future, could be disastrous.
With mitigation and adaption, we can reduce that risk. Farming practices are changing but our farmers must be reassured that their livelihoods are not on the line. Our own eating habits will have to change, but this could have major health benefits.
The most important change is that we must reduce the creation of greenhouse gases from fossil fuels with the use of renewables. This too has the benefit of cheaper energy and greater energy security.
Mike Baldwin
Good examples of elderly care
Professor Dhesi wisely advocates that the 10-year NHS plan should focus on improving standards of care for older people with complex health needs and frailty, preferably in the community and their own homes, before they have to resort to hospital admissions or assisted dying requests.
In West Kent, we were fortunate to have access to two schemes I found very helpful before I retired as a GP in 2024.
Firstly the Frailty scheme, run by the primary care federation, whereby seven GPs with an extended role in Frailty and Complex Care needs, supported GP practices and the multidisciplinary team with expert advice for elderly people living in the community, at risk of falls and admissions to hospital that could be avoided with care and support in their own homes/community.
Secondly, the urgent care home treatment service, for which Dr Amy Hesketh was the community geriatrician and clinical lead; GPs could ask this excellent service for a home visit and assessment of elderly patients who might be deteriorating and need bedside investigation, symptom control and treatment with appropriate services, equipment and support being supplied in a timely manner, potentially preventing an unnecessary and risky hospital admission for the person.
I think these are the sort of initiatives that should be financed by the review and rolled out on a wider basis.
In addition, of course, to funding for our local hospice service and their community outreach palliative care nurses.
Dr Helen D. Towner
Our carers deserve the highest praise
I read in last week’s paper about the case of a carer who had betrayed the trust of a vulnerable person for whom she had been caring.
Thankfully, such cases are rare, which is perhaps why I always find them disappointing, because I have been having carers come to my home for eight years and every one of them has been, and continues to be, an honest and caring person, who wouldn’t even dream of stealing.
I say to every reader, the care in the community to which these people commit themselves every day is vitally important, so please do not judge them by the actions of the person in last week’s edition.
Carers are not highly paid, but still they dedicate themselves to doing work that the great majority of us would not, or simply could not do.
So, far from being condemned by the actions of one person, they are deserving of our highest praise.
C Aichgy
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