Piers and Donald

I don’t really have a opinion on either of them but listening to Morgan on Radio 2 he said something that I hadn’t thought of. He said that Britain offering Donald a state visit was not the wrong thing as Britain offers the welcome mat to the Kings from Saudi Arabia and the President of China and we have all heard about the human rights issues these countries are accused of.

Yes, Donald may have a bad track record where women are concerned but in Saudi women were banned from driving, in China women could only have one child up until a couple of years ago, these are abuses as well but when Britain wants to trade with these nations the diplomats don’t care.

Jayne Grayson

by email

Drop the consultants

The Star, Monday, January 29, a report announces that Sheffield City Council are to enter into a new phase in its partnership with outsourcing company Capita in order to deliver savings of £6 million.

The Council has already paid £231 million to Capita since 2011. The report does not state if the £6m is year on year or spread a bit more thinly over a number of years.

Come Wednesday, and the City breaks the news that Capita has issued a profit warning. I

ts shares closed the day 47 per centdown, wiping over £1 billion off Capita’s value. Capita have now announced plans to raise £700 million by issuing new shares.

There are now concerns that Capita could go the same way as Carillion.

Rather than getting further into bed with Capita, giving them even more money, wouldn’t it be more prudent for the council to seek some other company or even better drop the consultants altogether and take charge, making their own savings?

John Powell

by email

Destruction of the NHS

Re: S Thompson, (January 24), your letter which ended, “And as for the hospitals”.

The Governent is deliberately destroying the NHS to make way for privatisation.

SPG

Sheffield

Five star awards

I’d like to award at least five gold stars each to both Neil and Oz, two members of staff at HMV Fargate for their willing and friendly help to a clueless oldie. Many thanks.

Mrs JB Martin

S8

No mention of trees

To all four Labour Councillors, I am gobsmacked.

I have just received your election flyer and there is no mention of the street battle that is currently going on in Nether Edge for our trees. Or had you forgotten?

And the flyer has the incredible sub-heading ‘Air that’s fit to breathe’, talking about BOLD steps to ensure air quality.

You have been anything but bold. Keeping our trees would be a major contribution to air quality, as well you know.

When are YOU going to be bold? And stand up for our trees.

You say you are going to recruit Clean Air Ambassadors.

You already have hundreds of these ‘ambassadors’. We are standing under trees in all weathers, from dawn to dusk.

We are fighting for our neighbourhood trees and for our, quoting you, ‘human right’ for clean air.

Let’s have some honest joined-up thinking, people.

Lesley Dike

by email

Deflecting the blame

It always grieves me when I hear politicians blame the ‘ageing population’ when asked about the critical state of the NHS.

And while I acknowledge that some of us look to be living longer, it cannot be the sole reason for the stark overcrowding and understaffing of our precious health service.

For instance, pop into your local A&E on a weekend night and see how many pensioners are waiting to be seen.

And can they be blamed for the fallout of the huge increase in drug and drink addiction, or the rise in stabbings and shootings, or the upsurge in abortions, or the millions spent on interpreters? The list goes on.

It’s so easy to target the so-called ‘lucky’ pensioners who have never had it so good. They ought to remember that most have lived through proper austerity, have worked all their lives paying their taxes along the way, and have scrimped and scraped to get what they have today.

So the next time you genius government reps are questioned about your failings and look for another soft target to warrant your constant ineptitude, I hope you will think a little more carefully before deflecting the blame and look more to the problems you appear to be ignoring.

Peter Flynn

Hillsborough

Wrong trees in place

Not that I’m a tree hugger or anything, in fact there’s nobody more sick of reading about trees than me, but I’ve got to say I was a little intrigued to see some trees being taken down, maybe poplars,I don’t know.

All I know is I have admired these elegant looking trees for a few years now. They are very tall, in fact, regimental-like and only kind of a narrow tree.

So I couldn’t see the reason for their removal being due to the neighbouring houses being deprived of sunlight.

Then I found out the reason, one of them came crashing down during a storm we had a few weeks ago and smashed through someone’s roof.

I was led to believe, no one was hurt so they really had no alternative but to take them all down.

It is a shame but I can understand why.

Is it another case of the wrong trees being planted in the wrong place.

It must have been an emergency decision because it was blowing a gale and there was a workman up near the top and the tree was swaying about 10 feet.

Ted Fowler

by email