Houston, we have a problem
In response to How market reforms can fix London’s housing crisis – 28th March 2016
The suggestion that Houston planning processes offer a solution to the London housing problem is stunningly stupid. Texas is a vast, mostly empty state in the USA and England a very small crowded island. Applying Houston planning regulations to Britain would result in at least half of England being an urban sprawl covering an area from Manchester to Dover, including cities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Birmingham and Brighton. Scenic areas such as the Cotswolds, the South Downs and the Thames valley would all be part of one big and probably ugly urban sprawl.
David Beavis, Devon, UK
No bed of heather
I am responding to the article (The UK could face a constitutional crisis in June – 1st April 2016) saying that a new Scottish referendum could be triggered if England votes for leave and Scotland votes remain. I say bring it on. The Scots’ bluff must be called and the poison of their persistent blackmail lanced, once and for all. Let the stark choice be put to the Scots – the UK or the EU. And they will choose the UK and that might just be the end of the matter. And if they are mad enough to choose the EU, then good riddance.
Andrew Famrich, Woodford Green, Essex | @fbcounselling
Anti-austerity, pro-autocracy
Well done for keeping concern about Corbyn’s appalling judgement about Venezuela alive! Now that he’s purged his website of politically embarrassing articles it’s up to people like you to ensure that his statements remain in the public domain.
Shimon Bialoguski, London, UK
Give steel the green light
In response to Saving Britain’s steel industry: from Redcar to Port Talbot – 1st April 2016
I think you miss two very important points:-
1] The cost of electricity to heavy industry in the UK is nearly double the European median and the cost of electricity in Europe is far higher than in China. Why? China still uses coal as its major power source and coal is the cheapest – if dirtiest – source.
2] UK heavy industry still pays pollution “fines” that are far higher than Europe’s, while the rest of the world does not pay any at all.
If we want steel and heavy industry to be viable in the UK we must level the playing field. There is nothing “green” about driving heavy industry out of the UK to be replaced by production from countries using far ” dirtier ” power sources.
Robert Thomas, Dumfries, UK
United descent of Europe
Bruce Anderson’s views on British history are very interesting but hardly relevant to the In/Out problem that we now face. Like so many of those supporting an “IN” he makes no mention of the cost to us each year in belonging to it. Nor does he touch on the lies and deceit that was undertaken to get us from being members of a trading group to a political grouping called the European Union . There are many who consider treason was committed along with the lies and deceit to enable this to take place. Cameron has come away with nothing from his talks much in the same way that Wilson did . The question is: do we want to get immersed into a United States of Europe, which will follow within a decade or two?
James Mills, Thorpe Bay, Essex, UK
