RMT union train strike, Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton by-elections, Chris Pincher and RSPCA among Lynn News letters

In simple terms these strikers are using an innocent and blameless public as a weapon in the fight with those bosses. Please don’t imagine it is just a mere inconvenience to a nurse, doctor, fireman or woman or a regular city worker to be prevented from getting to work. These people have critical jobs and families to support too, Mr Hunt and a right to be able to get to work without hindrance. What you’re doing is effectively blackmailing everyone and that’s simply not right or fair or a decent way for a declared trade unionist to treat fellow workers I’d suggest?

Steve Mackinder,

Denver

POLITICS

By-elections small beer

After last month’s two parliamentary by-election defeats suffered by the Tories, it won’t make any difference whether PM Boris Johnson stays or goes, albeit he’s obviously going to stay anyway!

Yet the mainstream impartial media’s main story since the results were declared was about Johnson’s determination to stay on for another three years as if this was a massive abstract big headline inferring the well-being of every British voter will be determined by Johnson’s leadership per se!

Real politics is about issues, they are global, not about sovereign leaders or whoever might eventually replace them due to some unforeseen circumstance! Any Tory leader who will succeed Johnson will be just as compelled to continue the main thrust of Tory economic ideology which of course is what the government’s real problem is, not the current nincompoop who leads it.

Yet to be perfectly frank, those two by-election results last week in Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton in Somerset were hardly the ‘hammering’ inflicted on the Tories which was projected by the mainstream media.

Wakefield, despite all the red wall dogma of Brexit in 2019, was always Labour anyway, but the low turnout and the fact Labour’s share of the vote had decreased (despite the win) was hardly an endorsement of Keir Starmer’s leadership?

In Honiton and Tiverton there was no real surprise that the pathetic Lib Dems had overturned a massive Tory majority. It’s happened before when the official Tories are reeling and such seats have eventually returned to the Tories at a subsequent general election simply because any Lib Dem MP stands for nothing politically. If it had been a genuine ‘socialist’ Labour Party candidate who had won then it would have been politically significant.

Similar to Keir Starmer’s ducking and diving tactics, Lib Dem’s wedge themselves between the left and the right exploiting the Tory Government’s dilemmas without proposing any clear political direction themselves. They believe by being moderate and polite it makes them electable and that is why the Tories will always be the dominant force in UK politics until this corrupt first-past-the-post electoral system in the UK is radically changed.

Nick Vinehill,

Snettisham

PINCHER

PM was not fast enough

Once again our PM failed to act fast enough, this time over the Chris Pincher saga. Now further accusations are being made against Pincher it makes Johnson look rather foolish for not taking immediate action and once again plays right into the hands of the Labour Party, who will make the usual three-course meal of it, and who can blame them. This sorry affair will probably trigger off another bye election with tactical voting by Labour, Liberal and Greens which will mean another nail in the Conservative coffin.

On top of this it would seem that the watchdog is carrying out a review on Johnson’s promise of 40 new hospitals, as loads of political waffle and no action. The PM makes the usual photo-shoot call at a hospital surrounded by smiley-faced NHS staff and then disappears. He and the majority of the Tory party have little idea of how we, the man and woman in the street, live. Perhaps North West Norfolk MP James Wild would like to explain how this will affect the desperately-needed hospital in Lynn and in plain English, not political gobbledigook. I have already said to Mr Wild that I will never vote Tory again for another reason, no action by the government has followed so I reckon that one has been put on the back burner as well.

When Johnson won the last general election by that huge majority the Conservatives had it all, but slowly and surely they have lost the goodwill of many who voted for them by their ineptitude to carry out the pre-election promises, and don’t start blaming all of that on the pandemic. It seems like many decisions were a knee-jerk reaction without first studying what would happen, Home Secretary Priti Patel comes to mind making one empty promise after another over illegal immigration and is still struggling to find a solution.

Alan Mudge,

Pentney

ANIMAL WELFARE

RSPCA’s new award scheme

As the cost of living crisis continues to bite for the nation’s pet owners, the RSPCA is inviting applications for an awards scheme recognising those public bodies going above and beyond to help.

The RSPCA PawPrints scheme recognises local authorities, housing providers and other public bodies who deliver higher animal welfare standards – celebrating “sometimes underappreciated” services that often offer a lifeline for animals and their owners.

Awards are split into five categories; stray dog services, housing, contingency planning, animal activity licensing, and kenneling and recognise bodies delivering services beyond statutory minimums.

The scheme – first established in 2008 – is now entering its 15th year.

Last year, 73 awards were issued to 54 organisations – including 62 accolades handed out in England, and 11 in Wales.

The launch of the scheme comes as the RSPCA’s new Animal Kindness Index suggests 19 per cent of pet owners are worried about feeding their pets, amid the cost of living crunch.

Criteria for the gold PawPrints awards include proactive work to encourage responsible pet ownership, discounted microchips for pets in the social housing sector and partnerships with local animal welfare charities – all steps likely to be crucial in helping pet owners through the cost of living crisis.

Awards also focus on preparedness for crisis situations – such as local flooding emergencies – and the welfare standards at kennelling facilities used by local authorities when boarding dogs.

The application window is open until 19 August 2022 – with bronze, silver or gold awards given to public bodies depending on their levels of service provision. Council officers and other public sector staff can apply for an award online.

These are tough times for humans and animals alike but many public bodies are doing huge amounts to help, and we want to celebrate that.

The RSPCA is delighted to again launch our prestigious PawPrints awards, which showcase the amazing work local authorities, housing providers and other public bodies do for animal welfare in their communities.

Too often, these services are sometimes under-appreciated. But these services are likely to offer a lifeline to people and pets; and in these tough times, the prioritisation of welfare is more important than ever.

From stray dog services, to contingency planning, to ensuring the social housing sector supports owners, we can’t wait to help public bodies once again prove to their users that they care about animals, and have the services to match. The public are hugely passionate about animal welfare – and we know they want to see public bodies that represent them taking action for pets.

Special awards have also been announced for innovative projects promoting animal welfare, and a ‘special recognition’ accolade for a particular person going beyond the call of duty for animals.

Lee Gingell,

RSPCA public affairs manager for local government