Readers' letters - May 16

I note that our political elite are hosting a conference to address corruption.

Will they address the wrongdoings of our own politicians?

Since the widespread expenses scandal, our representatives have found other ways of getting their hands ever deeper into our pockets.

Some MPs have rented out their homes, that we the taxpayer paid for, pocketed the rent and then moved into rented accommodation for which we pay the rent.

Others employ husbands and wives as office managers.

In some cases male MPs employ their wives under their maiden names and some female MPs use their maiden names and employ their husbands, which suggests an element of ‘underhandedness’.

The money-grabbing antics of these nonentities knows no bounds. In fact a recent investigation by the toothless Parliamentary Standards Authority found 139 MPs employing family members. Maybe the paragons of virtue who are our MPs are completely blameless but, if so, why have they not got up on their hind legs in Parliament and called for changes?

Failure to do so makes them equally responsible and equally ‘corrupt’.

P Robb

Address supplied

politics

UK ‘in same category’

So, David Cameron is at Buckingham Palace and whinging. He says: “Both Nigeria and Afghanistan are ‘fantastically corrupt.’”

Wow! But he forgets to mention the UK which is also in this category specialising in ‘tax-fiddling’ and ‘dodgy’ MPs.

It’s no wonder the Queen looked so bemused. I bet she was thinking: “Who in my ‘Royal Palace’ invited this cretin to my humble abode? I’m so NOT amused – off with his Tory Eton head!”

Very well said, your Majesty!

Darryl Ashton

Via email

entertainment

Licence fee’s too expensive

The BBC has again managed to achieve a done-deal as regards everyone having to pay the extortionate licence fee.

However, it would have been nice if the Government consultation asked if £175 a year was good value or not. A vast majority of people, including myself, do not feel it is good value, especially when one has to pay providers like Sky and others for additional decent entertainment.

The BBC does provide some decent programmes.

However, during the viewing week, I doubt that there are more than eight or nine of what I call decent programmes worth watching.

The rest on offer basically consist of cheap-to-make food programmes, brain-destroying soaps and repeat after repeat of drivel we have all seen time and time again... and which I object to having to pay to watch when I can see the same rubbish on all the other channels for free.

Karl Sheridan,

Address supplied


entertainment

Among the best ever TV

I have just watched part two of the BBC TV programme about the Invictus Games Choir. This has been one of the best ever TV productions in the way it showed the immense skill of choir master Gareth Malone. He put together a choir of severely disabled men and women from the British armed forces in only seven weeks.

David Quarrie via email