UK Edition
Letters: Voters are undecided on the EU because they don’t have all the facts
SIR – The most worrying statement from Sir Lynton Crosby’s analysis of the polls on Britain’s membership of the European Union is that nearly half the electorate say that they need more information in order to make a choice.
Surely somebody in the corridors of Whitehall has done a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis for the Cabinet of the consequences of a Remain vote.
It could hardly be asking too much to trust the British public with this information.
Andrew Walker Felpham, West Sussex
SIR – Making a balanced judgment about which way to vote in the EU referendum may be a difficult task for many voters. There are points about sovereignty, economics, democracy and accountability to consider.
It seems to me that the most immediate of these factors is our long-term economic prosperity. In this regard, it is significant that Lord Lawson, the most successful Conservative chancellor, is keen that we should vote Leave. He has been joined by Mervyn King, the former governor of the Bank of England, and subsequently by Lord Lamont, under whose chancellorship (once Britain had left the Exchange Rate Mechanism) we prospered so much more than other European nations.
These three are not protecting their own jobs in recommending we should leave, nor have they short-term profits to protect. They are the most qualified and experienced independent voices as far as our economy and prosperity are concerned.
James Ashby Winchester, Hampshire
SIR – The Remain camp has seized upon a report that house prices would drop by 35 per cent if we left the EU.
For many years, house prices have risen dramatically, especially in London and the South East, preventing many people from buying their own homes. Therefore, a vote for Brexit could enable many more people, particularly the young, to get on the property ladder.
David Vetch Smallfield, Surrey
SIR – There are no right answers in the EU debate. We are warned that either outcome will be a disaster, so it has come down to deciding which will be the least bad result.
Britain is geographically part of Europe and must trade with the mainland countries and maintain all sorts of links. The horse-trading and bartering that would need to take place after Brexit could last years.
Are we ready for another economic crisis in the meantime, having barely recovered from 2008?
Jane O’Nions Sevenoaks, Kent
SIR – What is the opposite of “Brexit”? Could it be “Brinit”?
Kyriacos Kaye Telford, Shropshire
Fund social care now
SIR – The Government missed its chance to address the chronic underfunding of social care in the autumn spending review, causing more people to miss out on the support they need and risking the collapse of care homes and home-care companies, as councils cannot afford to pay the full market rate for services.
Today, more than a million vulnerable disabled and older people lose out on basic support, such as help with washing and feeding themselves.
Despite the opportunity for councils to raise funds through the social care council tax precept, there will be at least a £1.4 billion gap in social care funding from this April and a £1.6 billion gap next year, even if councils introduce the maximum 2 per cent precept. This is on top of the real-terms reduction in adult social care of 7 per cent between 2010-11 and 2014-15.
The Government has promised a further £1.5 billion of support through the Better Care Fund, but this won’t be fully realised until 2019-20. Money is needed for social care now, or providers will leave the sector, increasing the demands on hospitals.
The Government must bring forward £700 million of the allocated future funding to 2016-17 to stave off the real risk of service failures in the next two years.
Vicky McDermott Chairman, Care and Support Alliance Ray James President, Association of Directors of Adult Social Services Frank Ursell Chairman, Care Providers Alliance
Causes of anorexia
SIR – Joan Bakewell completely misses the point about anorexics.
At its heart, anorexia (like other eating disorders) is a coping mechanism, the cause of which differs widely between individuals. Causes may include trauma, low self-esteem, bullying or social pressure, along with other broad-spectrum disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or autism spectrum disorder.
Anorexia is not caused by “over-indulgence or over-introspection”. However, sufferers tend to be highly intelligent and, therefore, more prone to picking up on the subtleties of the world around them.
While the disease may be narcissistic in its presentation, sufferers are prisoners within their own minds, bound by a complicated series of rituals and rules that they feel compelled to carry out daily. These rules apply to food and exercise and they give sufferers an illusion of being in control, thereby relieving them of the constant anxiety which they experience.
Anorexia nervosa is a serious mental illness requiring professional care, and it is a much misunderstood condition. It often, sadly, leads to death.
Jemma Perkins Andover, Hampshire
Surveillance bill threatens the digital economy
SIR – Britain’s digital economy is the largest in Europe, accounting for 10 per cent of GDP and more than 1.5 million jobs. Recent governments have championed the growth of digital business by supporting Tech City and incentives for entrepreneurs to start new ventures. Companies and users of digital services have a shared interest in the sector’s continued growth.
However, we must be mindful that the success of the digital economy depends on the trust of customers and users. Our members take steps to earn and safeguard this trust, in part by ensuring that there are appropriate legal frameworks in place to protect users’ data.
A crucial element of user trust is ensuring that there is a robust and transparent process in place whereby companies can honour legitimate requests for data by government authorities. These must be set out in clear and predictable laws.
We appreciate the Government’s commitment to bringing legislation in this area within a single Investigatory Powers Bill, currently making its way through the Commons. However, there is anxiety among businesses about the potential ramifications of the powers in the Bill for user confidence in digital services. Attempting to enforce UK laws in foreign companies could lead other governments to do the same, to the detriment of UK businesses. This is a serious matter and the current timetable is insufficient for adequate debate.
We call on the Government to give Parliament the time it needs to scrutinise this legislation and arrive at a considered law that underpins, rather than undermines, Britain’s thriving digital economy.
Julian David CEO, techUK Guy Levin Executive Director, Coalition for a Digital Economy James Blessing Chairman, Internet Service Providers’ Association Russ Shaw Founder, Tech London Advocates Christian Borggreen Director of International Policy, Computer and Communications Industry Association Michael Beckerman CEO, Internet Association
Unsightly turbines dampen Scotland’s spirit
SIR – I’ve just been watching a fantastic new video called Scotland: A Spirit of its Own (US version) on the Visit Scotland website. It shows the magnificent scenery that makes Scotland a paradise for visitors.
Curiously enough, there is not a single wind turbine to be seen. Perhaps Visit Scotland has finally got the message that people come to our country to see natural landscapes, not wind farms.
Karol Swanson Blanefield, Stirlingshire
Bin alerts
SIR – The proposal for pensioners’ bins to be programmed to alert GPs if they are not put out for a fortnight would be a waste of resources and an inappropriate use of GP services.
The bin should call a monitoring service, which could then send someone round to check. Only then, if necessary, should the GP be called.
Dr John Leigh Washington, Tyne and Wear
SIR – If a bin has not been put out for two whole weeks, alerting the coroner’s office would probably be far more appropriate.
Robert Warner Ramsbury, Wiltshire
A fair review
SIR – Tom Bower says I distorted his words in my review of his biography of Tony Blair last Saturday. I think he should blame his editor and not his reviewer.
He writes in his book – immediately after describing Mr Blair’s decision to make the Bank of England independent, and after a snippet of dialogue about not consulting the cabinet – “Butler was surprised that a tradition established 300 years earlier was being jettisoned so casually.”
I will not be the only reader to assume he was referring to the substantive point he had just made about changing the status of the bank – these events took place in 1997, and the Bank of England was founded in 1694 – and not to what he subsequently said about cabinet government, whose traditions he said date from 1721.
Simon Heffer Great Leighs, Essex
Shaken to order
SIR – Richard Holroyd should try a feather-filled duvet stitched in longitudinal channels, rather than in squares.
Feathers can be shaken up or down the duvet to vary the temperature. I shake them towards the head end in my half of the duvet and towards the foot end in my husband’s half.
Our double duvet has a king-size cover, so the excess fabric can be tucked under the mattress at the bottom corners to anchor it.
Norma Mitchell Bollington, Cheshire
Career ladder
SIR – An old boss once told me that he’d never employ anyone who stood still on an escalator.
For more than 40 years, I have always walked up, just in case I see him coming down on the opposite escalator.
John H Stephen London NW8
Would you buy?
SIR – The hyphen has not vanished from written language – it has just been misplaced.
Most of us have come across the fine tooth-comb – but my favourite example is the used car-salesman.
Jill Jackson Surbiton, Surrey