Readers' letters - October 8

Well, Simon Brodkin ‘aka’ Lee Nelson, you are lucky we live in a free and tolerant country like Britain because, had you carried out the stunt you did in any country other than ours, then you would have been shot first with questions asked after, assuming of course that you were still alive. What a puerile thing to do!

You made a mockery of the great position of state that is Prime Minister and made us a laughing stock of the world.

I hope the book is thrown at you and those who put you up to it, as I’m sure someone did. Of course, the way our world is now, the result will be that you will gain fame, wealth and a following of equally ridiculous people as you yourself are.

Why do we have to listen to calls of resignation of a poor woman who simply was inflicted with a cough at just at the wrong moment?

She probably coughed with shock at being accosted by a twerp like you. What is funny or amusing at what you did? How was it allowed to happen? Where was the security?

When will we get back to taking politics seriously, not influenced by stunts or interviewers and reporters who make much of someone’s else’s misfortune, resulting in even more distress for them than they must be already feeling?

Well done to Phillip May for being a loving and chivalrous husband at a time in his wife’s life when his support is very much needed. That is how a man ought to be acting, not like you did, Simon Brodkin ‘aka’ Lee Nelson.

I hope you get little satisfaction from your moment of fame and notoriety because to all right-minded people you showed yourself up far more than you did her.

Christine Cross

via email

Promote your pension scheme

Five years on from the introduction of auto-enrolment, more than nine in 10 people in the North West think it was a good idea, but employers might be missing a trick by under-estimating how valuable pension contributions can be for the recruitment and retention of staff.

While a majority of people (72 per cent) – far higher than the national average – consider pension contributions as important when looking for a new job, more than four in 10 local employers aren’t bothering to promote their scheme as a benefit.

At a time when more than half of UK adults, who are planning on retiring, think they won’t be able to afford their desired lifestyle in retirement, and with employees highly valuing their pension contributions, employers can play a significant role in helping their staff maximise their potential pension pots. Under auto-enrolment, employers have to provide a pension for their staff, so they might as well make the most of it.

By promoting their pension contributions when recruiting, reminding staff about the importance of saving for retirement, and, where possible, increasing employer contributions above the minimum requirements, they’ll not only help their staff plan for the retirement they deserve, but also benefit their business by helping them to recruit and retain staff.

Darren Philp

The People’s Pension

Back off from the car in front

Most motorists will agree that having another car travelling inches from your boot is one of the greatest sources of stress on the road. More importantly, aggressive driving is dangerous and is the key factor in many needless personal injury claims.

The Government is under pressure to crack down on whiplash claims from insurers who pay compensation to the people who are injured.

But surely a more logical way to reduce whiplash claims is to concentrate on reducing the number of collisions in the first place?

That is why the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) has long campaigned for drivers to ‘Back Off’ from the car in front. We still have work to do to make the Government listen, but in the meantime we urge everyone to keep their distance from the car in front.

Brett Dixon

Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL)