Readers' letters - August 15

Like many people, I have enjoyed watching the world athletics from London.

It was great fun and I’d 
like to congratulate all involved with it – from the organisers 
to the athletes and the BBC coverage.

However, when one considers that we, the tax payer, lottery player and charity donators will be paying several hundreds of millions of pounds to the athletic, swimming, equestrian and many other sporting bodies in order to compete at the next Olympics, all this money could be used to finance a few hundred doctors and over a thousand nurses through training and into work without any debts.

And this could be done over the next four years and then the next four years and so on between each games. Have we got our priorities right?

Ivan Kovacks

via email

Take control of your pension

Retirement should be something we dream

about – a chance to do all the things we’ve wanted to do, but have never had the time for.

But worryingly, new research by The People’s Pension shows that half of adults in the north of England think they won’t have enough money to maintain their desired lifestyle once they’ve retired, while almost four in ten (38 per cent) believe they will have to continue working part-time.

It’s clear that much more can be done to help people fully understand what support is available to them, but taking control of your pension doesn’t have to be complicated.

There’s many simple steps that people can take to improve how they plan for a financial future.

Take some time to

think about your retirement.

Do some basic calculations about what you might need.

If possible, activate your online account so you can check whether you’re on track, make sure you nominate your death beneficiaries, and, if you can afford to, take advantage of any employer matching contributions that are offered to you.

Darren Philp

Director of Policy and Market Engagement

The People’s Pension

Keep the same number of MEPs

With government ministers sending out mixed messages over ‘Brexit’, and particularly over the suggested transitional period whereby we actually leave the EU, it is certainly causing confusion to business, as well as everyone who voted either way in last year’s referendum.

If we remain as members after March 2019, although temporary, we will no doubt still be bound by their rules, regulations and laws. But will we be without British representation in the European Parliament?

If that is the situation, I feel it is important we fully maintain our current numbers of MEPs by extending their term, in order to monitor events until we finally do leave.

After all, it was thanks to many of them that we learnt the truth about its future.

Philip Griffiths

North West President

UKIP (UK

Independence Party)