Letter writers speak of kindness to March pensioner, Elm housing development and politics

Here are the letters from the Fenland Citizen of February 8, 2022...

Pensioner moved by amazing gesture

I would just like to say how wonderful it was to be treated so nicely by NatWest bank.

I telephoned the bank to ask them for some help and

advice, and spoke to a very nice man called Conor, who was patient with me and took his time to listen to me and help me.

I will be 92 in March, so it is nice to have someone take their time when listening and speaking with you.

We had a lovely chat and he even said he wished all his callers were like me.

But imagine my surprise when the next morning I received a bouquet of flowers and a hamper from Conor, thanking me for a kind call and wishing me a happy birthday. It really made my day. Thank you so much.

John Hall

Leverington

This is one development too far

I have received a communication from Fenland District Council, and despite great local opposition, they recommended 63 houses are built on land north of Gosmoor Lane, Elm.

Has the planning officer ever visited Gosmoor Lane?

It’s a narrow road, even more so with HGVs using it as a rat run at times (and other large vehicles).

The school is at capacity and it appears the district council intends to turn it into a dormitory town, as there have already been two other developments already built.

The letter received states that on February 8 at 1pm this will be referred to the planning committee, though rubber stamped more likely.

I hope our local elected representatives will be in attendance as this is one development too far and will spoil the character of the village.

Veronica Trubshaw

Elm

The Tories are getting ready for privatisation

Private health firms have donated more than £800,000 to the Conservative Party over the past ten years.

This includes companies run by wealthy tycoons who have wined and dined former prime ministers Boris Johnson and Theresa May and other senior ministers.

The finding comes as the government hands out more NHS contracts to the private sector. The British Medical Association has warned that relying on the private sector threatens the “sustainability of the NHS”, which has suffered from “a decade of underinvestment”.

An investigation by openDemocracy reveals how the Tories received £800,000 from more than 35 private health and social care businesses.

The true figure could be even higher because donors do not have to declare their field of work.

And this is on top of huge personal donations from some of the bosses behind these companies.

The majority of Tory donations from the private health sector have come since the pandemic began in 2020.

One such donor, Doctor Care Anywhere Group PLC, has given the party more than £37,000 in the past two years – and reportedly spent £1,000 on a ticket for government minister Paul Scully to watch a cricket match at Lord’s.

The company, which charges up to £60 for a single telephone call with a GP, raked in £25million revenue in the 2021 financial year.

The Conservatives also accepted £28,000 worth of donations from Advinia Health Care Limited, which operates a network of 36 care homes across the UK.

The company has taken huge amounts of public money and boasted almost £96million in turnover in its latest financial accounts.

From this, Advinia took more than £1.8 million of pre-tax profits.

All this shows why the Tories are running down our NHS in preparation for its privatisation.

John Smithee

Member, Fenland Green Party

Conservative ideas all looking after middle class

With health care not being free at point of demand with GPs charging for services, it means the poor will not get an early diagnosis for diseases such as cancer.

Consequently they will die earlier. Sadly the rate of life expectancy is already in free fall.

If you can afford private health care as a middle class person you will live to 95 years.

If you are working class, you’ll die aged between 60 and 75 on average.

Thus, if Government changes 66 to 75 years, half the population will never claim a state pension. Ideal saving for the Chancellor?

It also means reducing the world population and our human carbon emission footprint.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s new idea that people over 50 will get tax-free savings if they return to the workplace won’t benefit working class people as the minimum entitlement threshold is set at one million in savings.

So, do you work until you are 75 to boost tax revenue, or take early retirement as a millionaire?

Mark Burton

Chatteris