Your letters on politics, health, local government spending and charity
Here are the letters from the Lynn News edition of Friday, October 4, 2024...
Welcome to the 2024 Tory Party Conference
So, no sooner do the Tories gather for their annual conference than their civil war resumes.
Arise Baroness Warsi who has left the party with impeccable timing and with David Gauke rumoured to be next.
If that wasn't enough though, step forward ex-Prime Minister Theresa May with a new attack on Rishi Sunak.
Mrs May claims that the Tories focussed too much on beating Reform in seats like Boston and Skegness and Clacton instead of fighting the Lib Dem's in seats like Maidenhead and Surrey Heath.
Hence, far from being a beauty contest, this week's Conservative conference is far more likely to be a continuation of their bitter civil war, without so much as an inquest into their worst election result in over 100 years that resulted in the loss of ex MPs like Matt Warman and over confident candidates like dear old millionaire city businessman Ed McGuiness.
And if that wasn't bad enough we now have leadership favourite Robert Jenrick refusing to comment on reports he was given a £75,000 donation from a firm with no staff, James Cleverly denying that the infamous date rape joke about his wife doesn't make him a liability, and Kemi Badenoch forced to deny she think maternity pay is too excessive.
Welcome to the 2024 Conservative Party conference.
Geoffrey Brooking
via email
Let’s get back to basics with our spending
While we're hearing an awful lot of bleating at borough and county level about the loss of various pots of money from Central Government which was part of the bribe to persuade us to 'devolve', surely if the benefits of self-determination and autonomy are so great we should push it through anyway... or am I missing something?
Alastair Beales talks of the loss of opportunities to fund 'transformational' projects and initiatives and while these things are nice to have and everyone in authority loves a big-budget vanity project they can hang their hat on could I suggest another 'transformational' project for West Norfolk Council to get behind?
I know it's down to 'county' but we need to see heavy pressure placed on County Hall to get verges and overgrown hedges cut, white lines repainted, road signs cleaned and repaired, potholes filled and roads resurfaced.
Before we get carried away with airy pie-in-the-sky notions about projects and initiatives let's have the basics attended to... I think we'd find that pretty transformational - don't you Alistair?
Steve Mackinder
Denver
I am so grateful to have been given this book
What is the most important word in the English language? I guess everyone would have a different idea.
Had you thought that during mankind’s evolution the most important word was anti-threat?
Could it be that we are trying to live with brains that contain automated neural networks which evolved as anti-threat devices?
I am very grateful to my son Matthew and his wife Gemma for giving me a book called ‘The Immune Mind’ by Monty Lyman.
I spent my working life with the immune system and, in my retirement, I have tried to understand what is known about the brain.
This book presents recent research which suggests that the brain and the immune system act as one anti-threat system.
The brain, which is 90% subconscious, acts to predict macroscopic threats while the immune system counters microscopic threats.
Seeing these as one integrated system helps us to understand mental and physical disease in a different way which may prove to be helpful.
For example, it explains why a person feels depressed when they have flu or how stress impairs our whole lives or why it worsens some skin rashes, inflammatory bowel diseases or other autoimmune diseases.
It may explain why the news and media programmes are so negative and prone to violence.
Mental health disease can be seen as an over-activation of automated neural networks which warn of threat.
If you have time, you may be interested to read it.
Peter Coates
Stanhoe
Surely their wages as MPs are enough?
Members of Parliament are currently allowed to have second jobs as long as they are not ministers.
Having a second job could be seen as advantageous to being an MP.
It enables members to draw upon different experiences and generalise skills to their new roles.
It is also notable that many MP's returned to previous roles in public services after the General Election to help support the country.
Most of them have been able to adjust their hours to create an occupational balance that allows them to also dedicate their time to being present for their constituents.
There are, however, a number of MPs who continue to have very lucrative roles including consultants/advisers to private companies impacting on the unrepentant, with less time they have available to represent the electorate.
At times this can involve working remotely away from their constituencies.
Some appear to be prioritising their second jobs/roles over that of being an MP, resulting in a lack of presence and availability where it matters.
There is a need to review the working policies of MPs and stop them juggling their Parliamentary commitments around opportunities for excessive financial gain.
Membership of Parliament should be a full time job. Surely £91,346 per annum, plus secretarial allowances and other anomalies is sufficient income.
This will be lost on the current Government where some cabinet ministers have an aversion to empty wardrobes and drawers!
David Fleming
Downham
Wear pink to help fight breast cancer
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which means the return of wear it pink - Breast Cancer Now’s biggest fundraising event, on Friday, October 18. Every 10 minutes, someone in the UK hears the words: “You have breast cancer.”
Sadly, this happened to my eldest sister Tracey.
When she died in 2016, the news rippled through the family – shaking us all.
Little did we know this was just the beginning of the long shadow breast cancer would cast over us.
In October 2020, I received my own diagnosis. Telling my younger sister Nikki was harder than I ever imagined. But when Nikki revealed months later that she’d also been diagnosed with breast cancer, I couldn’t believe it. Three sisters in one family.
While Tracey hadn’t lived to see my diagnosis, I was here to see Nikki’s – and I was determined to support her through this.
Together we have come out the other side.
Although we were both tested for the BRCA gene, it came back negative.
The hospital told us that there probably was a genetic connection, but more research was needed to establish one.
This is why I’m calling on everyone to wear pink and raise money this October to help fund a life-saving research breakthrough that could help families like mine.
Support is just as vital.
By wearing pink, you can help someone get reliable information and support when they need it most.
Or drive forward vital campaigning, to make sure everyone living with breast cancer gets the best possible treatment and care.
However you decide to fundraise, you will be helping Breast Cancer Now to continue its world-class research and vital support.
So, on Friday, October 18, wear it pink, raise money and help create a future where everyone diagnosed with breast cancer lives, and is supported to live well. Sign up at wearitpink.org/SignUp
Michelle Blackburn
diagnosed with breast cancer
