Readers' letters - April 11

£9m cost is unacceptable
Correspondents are unhappy with the cost of the Governments EU leaflet. See lettersCorrespondents are unhappy with the cost of the Governments EU leaflet. See letters
Correspondents are unhappy with the cost of the Governments EU leaflet. See letters

I am writing in a state of complete shock.

The Government’s proposal to spend over £9m of taxpayers’ money on sending barefaced propaganda to every household in Britain is totally unacceptable and indefensible, especially at a time when budgets for healthcare, education, welfare and the police are being slashed.

Regardless of whichever side you sit on the actual referendum question, surely it is only appropriate for the machinery of government to intervene in a fair and balanced way, to ensure that voters can make a conscientious decision based on facts from both sides of the argument.

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I am deeply concerned that this Tory government considers it appropriate to spend so much money in this way, with no consideration to the other side.

Just imagine if they had sent a taxpayer-funded leaflet to every house in March last year, before purdah, saying that it was in the country’s interest to elect a Conservative government at the general election.

Would we have considered that to be acceptable?

Michael Barge

Address supplied


leaflet

I’d vote the Tories out

Like many others, I find the cost of the Government’s pro-EU leaflet insulting in an so-called ‘age of austerity’.

Where is the money for libraries and other local services? Or to help the steel industry? Where does this money magically appear from? I admit I don’t know what to vote for in the EU referendum, in or out, but I know what Government I would like to vote OUT – quickly before they make even more of a mess.

CJK via email

health

Heartless heart disease

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Heart disease is heartless. I know first-hand the devastating impact it can have on families across the UK because heart disease took my father from me when he was just 50.

Each year, over 18,700 lives are lost to heart and circulatory disease in the North West. The need to find new ways to fight it is urgent. By taking part in the British Heart Foundation’s new MyMarathon challenge, you can help accelerate this fight by funding the vital research that is so desperately needed to end this terrible suffering.

I’m calling on everyone to take part and challenge themselves to run the 26.2miles this May. You can run it at your own pace in your own time, whether that’s over four hours, four days or four weeks, so now everyone can go the distance. Sign up today at www.bhf.org.uk/mymarathon and help us save more lives.

Louise Hazel,

athlete

industry

Where’s our British pride?

Many years ago, during the 1939-45 war, our nation was in need of another battleship.

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Every citizen contributed with pennies and pounds, the money rolled in, as much as one could afford. The battleship was built and went to war, so why can’t we all collect to help buy the iron works? Keep it in British hands and keep our foundries fully employed. Where’s our British pride? Let’s try to keep the iron foundries British and working for us.

Olga Twist,

Address supplied