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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2016/oct/22/letters-social-care-brexit-in-northern-ireland-eu-students-visas
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| Letters: Britain needs a cross-party commission on social care | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Your view on social care (Editorial) rightly highlights a vital public service on its knees following years of funding cuts. This neglect of our social-care system is having a dire effect on the lives of thousands, if not millions, of disabled and older people who deserve decent, dignified and compassionate support to live fulfilling and independent lives. | Your view on social care (Editorial) rightly highlights a vital public service on its knees following years of funding cuts. This neglect of our social-care system is having a dire effect on the lives of thousands, if not millions, of disabled and older people who deserve decent, dignified and compassionate support to live fulfilling and independent lives. |
| We know that funding cuts mean at least 400,000 fewer people are now receiving social care compared to 2009. In addition to the devastating impact on individuals, this is placing the NHS under further unsustainable pressure. | We know that funding cuts mean at least 400,000 fewer people are now receiving social care compared to 2009. In addition to the devastating impact on individuals, this is placing the NHS under further unsustainable pressure. |
| The government must take urgent action on this issue. With the autumn statement fast approaching, the chancellor has an opportunity to bring forward vital additional funding to help stabilise a system facing crisis. | The government must take urgent action on this issue. With the autumn statement fast approaching, the chancellor has an opportunity to bring forward vital additional funding to help stabilise a system facing crisis. |
| In the longer term, we need an honest national conversation, led by a cross-party commission, about which aspects of support the state can and should fund and what people should be individually responsible for. Only then will we create a social-care system that is sustainable and of which we can all be proud.Neil HeslopChief executiveLeonard Cheshire Disability, London SW8 | In the longer term, we need an honest national conversation, led by a cross-party commission, about which aspects of support the state can and should fund and what people should be individually responsible for. Only then will we create a social-care system that is sustainable and of which we can all be proud.Neil HeslopChief executiveLeonard Cheshire Disability, London SW8 |
| The will of the people? | The will of the people? |
| The hypocrisy of Brexit politicians never ceases to amaze. As you reported (In Focus), at Westminster they demand that parliament, in which they have no majority, should not have a voice in the Leave negotiations. They argue that Brexit is the inviolable will of the people, despite being that of less than half of the electorate and only a small majority of those who actually voted. The reverse is the case in Northern Ireland. There, they have used the built-in Unionist majority in Stormont to thwart the democratically expressed wish of their electorate to remain, which could be recognised by negotiating special EU status for Northern Ireland. Consistency is certainly not their strong point.Stephen ButcherBallymenaCounty Antrim | The hypocrisy of Brexit politicians never ceases to amaze. As you reported (In Focus), at Westminster they demand that parliament, in which they have no majority, should not have a voice in the Leave negotiations. They argue that Brexit is the inviolable will of the people, despite being that of less than half of the electorate and only a small majority of those who actually voted. The reverse is the case in Northern Ireland. There, they have used the built-in Unionist majority in Stormont to thwart the democratically expressed wish of their electorate to remain, which could be recognised by negotiating special EU status for Northern Ireland. Consistency is certainly not their strong point.Stephen ButcherBallymenaCounty Antrim |
| Brexit dunces | Brexit dunces |
| With regard to David Willetts’s piece (“Our universities and research centres are thriving: Brexit threatens them”, Comment), as we have pointed out, EU students could be offered temporary residency status and access to loans with the proviso that reciprocal arrangements are agreed for UK students wishing to study in Europe. | With regard to David Willetts’s piece (“Our universities and research centres are thriving: Brexit threatens them”, Comment), as we have pointed out, EU students could be offered temporary residency status and access to loans with the proviso that reciprocal arrangements are agreed for UK students wishing to study in Europe. |
| Classifying EU students as international students will damage a market that enhances the UK culturally and economically. Government plans to apply a two-tier visa system to international students, according to the “quality” of the university at which they study, are already having an adverse impact on the UK’s global reputation for high-quality education. | Classifying EU students as international students will damage a market that enhances the UK culturally and economically. Government plans to apply a two-tier visa system to international students, according to the “quality” of the university at which they study, are already having an adverse impact on the UK’s global reputation for high-quality education. |
| Foisted upon the Home Office by Number 10, these proposals completely miss the point. All UK universities are quality assured, so quality is not in doubt. Facing both ways is never a good position for any government. In advance of her visit to India, Theresa May should allow the home secretary, Amber Rudd, to do the right thing and withdraw these proposals for international students They are based on misconceived and outdated prejudices and are little more than a backdoor attempt to use international students to reduce migration numbers.Pam TatlowChief executiveMillionPlus, The Association for Modern UniversitiesLondon | Foisted upon the Home Office by Number 10, these proposals completely miss the point. All UK universities are quality assured, so quality is not in doubt. Facing both ways is never a good position for any government. In advance of her visit to India, Theresa May should allow the home secretary, Amber Rudd, to do the right thing and withdraw these proposals for international students They are based on misconceived and outdated prejudices and are little more than a backdoor attempt to use international students to reduce migration numbers.Pam TatlowChief executiveMillionPlus, The Association for Modern UniversitiesLondon |
| Let’s have a no-fly zone | Let’s have a no-fly zone |
| Your business leader article on Gatwick v Heathrow was wrong to take it as read that we need to expand airport capacity (“Gatwick’s the best choice in many ways, but a Heathrow Hub fudge could sweeten the deal”, Business). If we are serious about trying to cut greenhouse gas emissions, we cannot afford more air travel. Therefore, a much better option than increasing supply is to reduce demand, by raising airport duty. A sharp increase in the tax would greatly reduce the number of flights taken for trivial purposes, leaving plenty of air travel capacity for the business users who are lobbying for expansion. | Your business leader article on Gatwick v Heathrow was wrong to take it as read that we need to expand airport capacity (“Gatwick’s the best choice in many ways, but a Heathrow Hub fudge could sweeten the deal”, Business). If we are serious about trying to cut greenhouse gas emissions, we cannot afford more air travel. Therefore, a much better option than increasing supply is to reduce demand, by raising airport duty. A sharp increase in the tax would greatly reduce the number of flights taken for trivial purposes, leaving plenty of air travel capacity for the business users who are lobbying for expansion. |
| The money raised from the more expensive flights would ideally be used to cancel some of the austerity public spending cuts, but if the government wanted a more populist approach, they could share it out as a direct payment to every adult in the UK as an annual “climate change bonus”.Richard MountfordTonbridge, Kent | The money raised from the more expensive flights would ideally be used to cancel some of the austerity public spending cuts, but if the government wanted a more populist approach, they could share it out as a direct payment to every adult in the UK as an annual “climate change bonus”.Richard MountfordTonbridge, Kent |
| Hooray for the tax activists | Hooray for the tax activists |
| Luke Harding charts the gradual exposure of tax havens and their users (“Only idiots still pay tax”, News) but predictably forgets to mention one group. I know it’s a debatable point as to how far street activism raises awareness and gets anything done, but it was six years this month that the evening news showed activists from UK Uncut occupying Vodafone in London’s Oxford Street and being grappled with by police and security staff. In doing so they drew attention to an issue that had remained unremarked outside the pages of Private Eye. Happy birthday Uncut and good wishes to all other activist groups that are attempting to enforce democracy during its absence from Westminster.David RedshawGravesend, Kent | Luke Harding charts the gradual exposure of tax havens and their users (“Only idiots still pay tax”, News) but predictably forgets to mention one group. I know it’s a debatable point as to how far street activism raises awareness and gets anything done, but it was six years this month that the evening news showed activists from UK Uncut occupying Vodafone in London’s Oxford Street and being grappled with by police and security staff. In doing so they drew attention to an issue that had remained unremarked outside the pages of Private Eye. Happy birthday Uncut and good wishes to all other activist groups that are attempting to enforce democracy during its absence from Westminster.David RedshawGravesend, Kent |