Readers' letters

MPs overwhelmingly voted to renew Britain's Trident nuclear weapon system.

The only reason to keep Trident, in my view, is to keep jobs but otherwise I wonder, is it a waste of money and will it really stop us being targeted?

The biggest threat today appears to be psychopaths who are deranged and filled with a lethal combination of lust for power and hatred – do you think these wannabe serial killers will stop because there is a nuclear deterrent? These evil monsters are not logical, that is what is most frightening. If they see a nuclear deterrent, they’ll welcome the idea of being blown up as ‘martyrs’.

We live in an age of austerity (so I am told by politicians) so how can we afford the astronomical cost of £31bn? If we opted against Trident, we can redeploy those whose employment is affected, so no one becomes unemployed. We would still have money left over for hospitals, libraries, public services and so on. Of course we need increased security, especially in this dark age of irrational hatred, but I don’t think Trident is the answer.

Protester Stuart Holmes with his Staffordshire Bull terrier at the anti-Trident demonstration in Parliament Square in London

Jane via email

TRAVEL

Why such an unfair fare?

 Split ticketing is the way to go or should I say travel?

Regarding high rail fares, in terms of proportions, none comes anywhere near the following, which was for a particular train on a particular day and was on peak: Wigan North Western to Carlisle: £24.

Carlisle to Glasgow Central: £16. Total: £40.

But: Wigan North Western to Glasgow Central (and this is for the same train, same day, same time, even the same seat): £122!

Yes, THREE TIMES as much as compared to the split ticket.

Okay, so the one earlier train was £33 for the journey while the one following was £34, both of which would have cost less than the split ticket and also both on peak, but it does beg the question as to what was so special about this particular example to warrant such a disparity in fare?

Answers please, Virgin, because, er, fair it isn’t.

Neil Swindlehurst

Address supplied

referendum

We’re Out – get over it

I can’t get over the Remain campaigners continuing to shout out their opposition regarding the result of the Referendum. The majority of people in this country voted Out –that’s it finished.

As for all the foreign nationals in the UK, there is no threat to their jobs whatsoever.

Let’s just get on and arrange our future and, just to let the worry-warts know, this is a list of the countries which have so far signalled they would like to open talks with the UK over a trade deal: the US, China, India, the EFTA nations, Australia and New Zealand, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, Ghana and… Germany!

The latter had been told by its industrialists it had better strike a free trade deal with the UK after Brexit, or else. Not surprising as Germany exports over £55bn to the UK and only imports £10bn from us.

Cliff Fazackerley

via email

royalty

Practise what you preach

Why should taxpayers be funding royal travel costs? Surely they are wealthy enough in their own right to pay for every single journey they take?

Fifty seven trips at £10,000 each for them and their staff in 2015/16. Prince Charles waffles on about carbon footprint – I say, put up and shut up and practise what you preach.

Mavis Harrison via email

Readers' letters - July 20