2 months ago
9 
Do you agree with our readers? Have your say on these MetroTalk topics and more in the comments.
Labour's spending plan is a ticking time bomb
John Lewis (MetroTalk, Wed) may think the present government are doing well but I fear he may be eating his words in a few months’ time.
Government borrowing is going through the roof, each month exceeding even the Office for Budget Responsibility’s pessimistic estimate.
Come chancellor Rachel Reeves’Autumn Statement, either taxes will rise or spending be severely cut, such is the parlous state of our finances.
That is the price we’re paying for Labour’s reckless spending, in particular the above inflation pay rises given to civil servants.
The forthcoming employment legislation is going to cripple business – allied with the rise in employers’ national insurance contributions, this will result in thousands of redundancies and many smaller companies ceasing to trade.
The gap will be filled with imports from the Far East and we know the regard they have there for workers’ rights. Talk about self-inflicted harm.
The fact is that, like many Western democracies, we’re in a fix. The welfare state is unsustainable in its present form and, sooner or later, this needs to be addressed. John Daniels, Redhill
Imagine if Farage takes us back into the EU
Would it not be the ultimate irony if – with the far-right gaining ground across Europe and EU control not impossible, and Reform on the ascendant here – we see none other than Nigel Farage taking us back into the EU to join his buddies.
Remember it was never about most of the nonsense stated but about the fact the EU is centrist and protects workers and minorities etc. Robert Boston, Kingshill
Reform UK risks putting net zero on ice
The worrying thing about the success of Reform UK at the local elections is that these people are climate deniers who will set the drive towards ‘net zero’ back, what, a decade? An extra ten years planet Earth ain’t got! Gareth Pendry, Doncaster
When rights clash, who wins?
In arguing that asylum should continue to be granted to sex offenders, Charlie Parrett (MetroTalk, Tue) is right that human rights are inalienable – they cannot be taken away or given up.
However, considering a single individual’s rights in isolation from the rights of other members of society is problematic. If one person’s exercising of their rights impinges on another person’s freedom to exercise their own rights, whose rights take precedence?
If a sex offender is let loose in society, what impact does that have on the right to liberty and security of the rest of society?
The case of Isla Bryson, the transgender rapist sent to a women’s prison, is possibly the clearest example in recent years of a sex offender exploiting rights legislation in a manner that impinged on the rights of others. Jonto, Newcastle
Don’t take Kneecap too seriously
I wouldn’t get too hepped up about what Kneecap are saying (MetroTalk, Thu).
The Irish hip-hop band were seemingly caught live on film telling their audience, ‘The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.’
They’re young after all and a lot of it is said for effect. I daresay I would probably like to ‘kneecap’ their music before I’ve even heard it.
I read up on them briefly and they put me in mind of that Only Fools And Horses episode, where Rodney is in a rock band who declare themselves as Marxist Trotskyite anarchists.
When Del Boy asks them why they want to be a band, they say because they want to be ‘rich Marxist Trotskyite anarchists’. Dec, Essex
Rethinking when we do bank holidays
We’re going to have three bank holiday Mondays within five weeks.
Surely it’s a better idea to spread them out more. How about one in late October to commemorate Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar and Wyatt Earp’s victory in the Gunfight at the OK Corral? Steve Mitchell, South London
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