I’m a pensioner – I’d much rather my £400 winter fuel payment go to those who need it

How can the same people criticising the fuel benefit measures proposed by Rachel Reeves complain about cancer patients suffering delayed treatment because of lab closures? The latter is a result of a lack of funding.

You cannot on the one hand label the new government “inept” for removing a payment that the vast majority of recipients neither want nor need, but then decry the austerity measures of the last government.

I am a pensioner – and although I am by no means well off, I would much rather my £400 go to causes much more deserving than me.

Us “boomers” have done very nicely over the last 14 years. The Tory government allowed us to benefit from the triple-lock pension, among other measures. It’s time to address the needs of other demographics in our society. If some pensioners need assistance to help them through the winter, at least make it means-tested (as is proposed) and not a universal benefit.

John Stanton

Address Supplied

Sharon Graham of Unite makes a strong case for a wealth tax rather than removal of winter fuel payments.  This government came to power promising to fix the “black hole” by asking “those with the broadest shoulders” to pay for it. 

Hardly the description of the average pensioner...

Mike McMorran

Bournemouth

I read with interest the letter from Michael Mann, who proclaims that vegan food makes for “unpleasant cakes, pastries and the like”.

As a former cafe owner, with a fair sprinkling of older clients, I found it wise, when offering cakes or indeed a daily special to customers, that it was best not to use words like “vegan”, “gluten free”, or, heaven forbid, foreign names in the offering.

I learned this the hard way. Write up your specials board highlighting a new vegan cake and listen to the “I’m not vegan, why should I have to eat vegan food” comments. Remove the word vegan and sell the entire cake in an afternoon. The same with gluten-free recipes.

You’ll notice that I’ve made a massive assumption in this letter about the age of the letter writer. He may well be a young man. Always best not to make assumptions? Vegan = unpleasant food. Not willing to try something new = older client.

Neither of which is true.

My advice to the National Trust would be as follows: a vegan will ask what you offer for vegans. No need to advertise it and lose custom.

Karen Brittain

York

Two recent news stories point to elements which should be incorporated in any new constitutional settlement. 

First – and relating to the need for an anti-corruption court – is Boris Johnson’s failure to disclose that he met with a uranium lobbyist while he was PM, before joining a business venture with a controversial uranium entrepreneur.

The second – the need for a new Companies Act – is the bad behaviour of companies connected with the Grenfell Tower cladding scandal.

Keir Starmer is not known for his interest in constitutional matters. However, these and many other issues call out for a serious new political and economic deal for the UK.

Andrew McLuskey

Ashford

Ministers keep blaming 14 years of Conservative governance for the terrible state of our public services, but Labour has acquiesced to every income tax and national insurance cut that the Tories have implemented, too scared to tell the electorate the unpalatable truth: that these cuts are entirely incompatible with maintaining our hospitals, schools, transport infrastructure, prisons... the list goes on.

It was plain at the time, not hidden in some secret Treasury document. Keir Starmer has provided not leadership, but follow-ship.

Mike Shearing

Southall