By George, let’s have a bank hol for patron saint
VIEWPOINTS Write to: Viewpoints, M.E.N, Mitchell Henry House, Hollinwood Avenue, Oldham, OL9 8EF Or email: viewpoints@men-news.co.uk
THANK you to the good people and authorities of Manchester for organising and allowing another successful Irish Parade.
It was well planned and hopefully this kept any traffic delays to a minimum.
The parade continues to celebrate Manchester’s age-old connections to Ireland.
Some have drawn comparisons to how St George’s Day is celebrated.
Prehaps the time has come for us to petition for St George’s Day to become a Bank Holiday.
Then the good people of Manchester could maybe lead the way in organising the best St George’s Day parade in the country? Martin McPhillips, Prestwich
PM would dig herself a hole
RE: Terry Brunt (‘Blame lies with Thatcher,’ M.E.N. Viewpoints, March
6). It’s true that Trump promised to get the miners back to work by opening up the mines again. Indeed a leading democrat when asked why they lost the election said ‘Trump was in Michigan talking to mainly out of work coal miners about jobs, we were in our comfort zone talking to ourselves about transgender bathrooms.’
However, I don’t think Mr Brunt need worry about expensive, imported American coal because the ultra powerful climate change/ environmental lobby groups will never allow the mines to reopen.
If as he suggested our prime minister tried to reopen the mines in this country she would face the same problem.
Celebrity climateers would bombard us with forecasts of impending environmental doom, plus all the usual tiresome protest marches.
If, as you suggest, Mrs Thatcher was responsible for closing the polluting coal mines, surely she should be regarded as an early pioneer of the environmental movement and given her due recognition. Somehow I can’t see that happening. Broadsword, Gorton
No politicians as police boss
COUN Sareda Dirir may well be an ‘outstanding candidate’ for the position of Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner (Councillor up for new police role, M.E.N. March 9), but as an existing member of a political party this means that the police will have become politicised. The same happened in Manchester with Tony Lloyd MP and Coun Jim Battle. The job should be given to someone who is neutral not a politician. Observer, Manchester
Bravo to City defenders
MAN City should have won about 6-0 on Saturday, never seen anything so one-sided. Either Middlesbrough are doomed this season, or City are even better that we thought. However, Claudio Bravo badly fumbled one shot when we were only a goal up, and deflected another helpfully towards his own inner post; the first was miraculously scooped off the line by Zabs, and the second wasn’t quite good enough to beat Stones, who hacked it away, so we got out of jail again, the defence being now even good enough to stand firm against our own goalkeeper. It is absolutely incredible that he is still being selected. I think Pep is in some sort of parallel universe. Phil Barber, Didsbury
Betrayal of the NHS
I WAS appalled that Howard Bernstein, who is still chief executive of Manchester city council, officially opened the Inspire private hospital. He is still a city council employee and I thought Manchester Labour council was opposed to private health care, and that a representative of the council should not be promoting it.
I hope no Labour Councillors were present and no council money or help in kind has been used to develop this facility. All private health care undermines our NHS and all the focus of our council should be on enhancing pubic provision of good health services for all, especially as the city council, through DevoManc is now partly responsible for the NHS in this area. I hope the council leadership will censure its chief executive for his betrayal of the NHS. Margaret Manning, Chorlton
Old priced off our roads
RE: Manchester, the second worst traffic congestion after London (Manchester Weekly News, February 16). The insurance companies are helping to ease the situation by pricing older drivers off the roads. My car insurance recently became due for renewal.
I have no convictions, no penalty points, had no accidents and therefore qualify for the maximum NCB (I am actually on the public highway for approximately half an hour per week shopping.) Unfortunately I am aged 87 and, because I am a year older than last year, my present insurance company increases my premium by 39 per cent. I phoned around to obtain a cheaper quote but most were in the region of £800. One company quoted £1,396 plus a £400 excess! Another company said: “We don’t insure people of your age.” Time to sacrifice my bit of independence and hang up the keys I think! JE M, Stockport