August 7th 2023.
One reader has expressed their disappointment with England’s public health care system. Swietlana Woroszenko, from London, recounts her elderly mother’s contrasting experiences of receiving emergency care in England and in Poland, where access to treatment is also free at the point of need.
Swietlana and her mother waited four hours for help at a hospital in England. In comparison, they were immediately admitted in Poland because the hospital was helping war refugees from Ukraine without queues. Swietlana was devastated to witness the difference between the two countries.
In another MetroTalk, readers discussed the prime minister’s plans to review 20mph speed limits and low-traffic neighbourhoods. While many described excessive traffic in their area, none mentioned the only real solution to the problem: buses.
Having adequate bus networks that reduce both congestion and pollution is essential to mitigate climate change. However, the fact that so few people see them in that light shows how inadequate our current systems are. We must get serious about buses if we are serious about traffic reduction and climate change.
Rob Slater from Norfolk wrote about Wilko’s closure after 93 years and 12,000 jobs at risk. He blamed it on the ‘online order’ culture, and the store’s lack of staffed checkouts. As most of their customers were oldies who pay only by cash, the store became quiet and customers left in droves.
Steven questioned rail union Aslef’s commitment to LGBTQ+ rights because its members’ overtime ban meant operator GTR cancelled trains for Saturday’s Brighton Pride. Josh, a gay train driver from Sheffield, reminded Steven that strike days have been called on days when a multitude of events were taking place, and that they were not singling out LGBTQ+ people. Chris from London also added that there are plenty of others who are affected by industrial action.
Christina Toubkin wrote about Richard III’s reputation as a ‘Shakespearean baddie’ being ill-founded, and that he didn’t kill the ‘princes in the tower’. Maurice Lindores from Hertford replied that Richard intercepted the young prince Edward on his way to be crowned, killed his loyal supporters without trial, and declared the two princes illegitimate. He questioned how supporters of the murderer can be so naive.
Finally, the government is reportedly considering Ascension Island as an alternative to Rwanda for housing small-boat asylum seekers. Don Trower from Braintree said this is a ridiculous suggestion, as it would have a negative impact on the environment and fauna. Andrew Malkinson no longer has to pay accommodation and food expenses for the 17 years he was wrongly in prison for a rape he did not commit. The guilty should pay for their crime by working for nothing, suggested K Baker from West Midlands.
And lastly, Sir Richard Moore, head of MI6, revealed that many Russians are already spying for Britain. Peter from Bradford argued that if they are caught, it’s not a five-year stint in a British prison, but a 20-year sentence in harsh conditions with the family made to suffer. He questioned why the ‘I’ in MI6 stands for ‘intelligence’.
Do you agree with our readers? Have your say in the comments below.
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