Wednesday 7 May 2014

letters on NHS referendum and Queens Award update

What a sad indictment of the political situation in Britain, that the idea of having a referendum on whether taxes should be increased to fund the NHS is actually a good one. (Let`s have a vote on the NHS,22/04/12) Steve Richards`s reasons for proposing it are also sensible, as "there can be no reasoned debate in an election campaign". The proposal raises two issues: one, that in an election, parties make promises, as we know to our recent cost, which they have no intention of upholding. Secondly, a general election should be a national referendum anyway, with different parties having distinctly different policies, but at the moment they don`t, and this explains the popularity of Farage. The fact that it looks like all parties need advisers from abroad to spell out the problem to them also goes some way to explain voters` disillusionment! What about referendums on Trident, HS2, MPs` expenses, and the rising inequality, as it seems the parties are also unable to reach decisions on these issues?
         Isn`t it time for the Queen`s Award for Enterprise to be updated? (Arms firm among Queen`s award winners,21/04/14) Do we really want in the 21st century to be rewarding makers of such things as "air-launched missiles suitable for firing in urban environments" with an emblem to be used in advertising as a "symbol of quality and success"? With a tax gap approaching at least £35bn a year, and inequality resembling that of the 19th century, might it not be more sensible to make such awards to companies paying the correct amount of tax to the government, and a living wage to all of its employees?

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