20052021

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Thursday, May 20, 2021

Newbury Weekly News

Your views talk to us POST: Newspaper House, Faraday Road, Newbury, RG14 2AD EMAIL: editor@newburynews.co.uk Email letters to editor@newburynews.co.uk with your full name, a terrestrial address and daytime phone number. DEADLINE: MONDAY NOON

Our political leaders have to face the reality COMPANIES that wish to muddy the accounting waters often do two legal things – change the reporting date and change accounting policies. Similarly with Covid statistics, so helpfully reported daily on your website. Three ‘adjustments’ over recent weeks cannot hide the recent rise in infections in West Berkshire, owned up to by the leader of WBC. However, Lynne Doherty’s claim about a low starting point does not hold water when compared with June last year: Currently (May 16) average daily infections are close to total infections throughout that month, which should be worrying, even allowing for improved reporting. Similarly, our MP Laura Farris in her column ( Newbury Weekly News , May 13), seems oblivious of the fact that delay in placing India on the ‘red list’ is alleged to have allowed some 20,000 people to enter the UK without suffering a tight quarantine regime, with the only too obvious consequences in Bolton and Blackburn. Whatever her ‘time of writing’, the rise in infection rates locally preceded the date when full vaccination of one third of the population was achieved nationally. I suppose it is in the nature of politicians to put an optimistic spin on matters, even if the true facts

Tory leadership doesn’t respect democracy THE irony of seeing the failed Conservative candidate in the Clay Hill by-election praising the people in the Conservative Party for working tirelessly to promote democratic values was not lost on me ( Newbury Weekly News , May 13). West Berkshire Council’s ruling executive is a Conservative bullies playground. Overdosed with self indulgent pride they abhor any challenge to their all powerful authority. Democracy doesn’t really exist, but then as a headteacher I expect Paul Dick never really thought about it in his school. Still, maybe he will have the same luck when Jeff Cant turn up is pushed off the gravy train at the next elections. JOHN GOTELEE London Road Newbury We have to expand to compete with others REFERENCE opposition to the Eagle Quarter development ( Newbury Weekly News , May 13). Change or die. We will never keep the shops everyone wants in the town if we think so small. John Lewis and the likes went because Newbury can’t complete

millions of people (many of whom are indigenous people), endangered species, and a diverse range of plants with medicinal properties to help treat incurable diseases like cancer. Selling this land is illegal, but under Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro land grabbers have been emboldened to destroy the Amazon for timber, cattle farms and mining. In the coming weeks, politicians in Brazil are trying to push through changes in laws that will legitimise the actions of forest destroyers. Boris Johnson, UK PM, urged world leaders to get serious about climate change, therefore, I would like to know what is the UK Government doing about Facebook’s role in illegal Amazon destruction? JEANNETTE SCHAEL Crookham Close Tadley Here’s a simple answer to what lead-free is... IN his article published on May 13, justifying the continued use of lead shot by the shooting industry, which poisons our countryside, our wildlife and the food chain, your regular columnist Andrew Davis asks: “What does lead-free mean?” I am happy to enlighten him. It means free of lead, without any lead in it. JULIAN ROTA High Street Kintbury

imply otherwise. However, it is totally unacceptable for the new mayor of Newbury to be photographed inside a shop on Newburytoday , even a new opening, with three others last week, without any mask wearing and apparently negligible social distancing, unless, which I very much doubt, all four are exempt from the former. Their behaviour was illegal and Mr Drummond should resign. Good leadership includes the need to face reality however uncomfortable and local people of influence, council leaders, MPs and mayors, should be to the forefront. JULIAN WAGHORN Bucklebury Alley Facebook must answer for the damage it does IT’S scandalous that Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, isn’t made accountable for Facebook’s Marketplace allowing huge swathes of protected Amazon forest to be sold on its platform at the click of a button. It affects everyone on the planet and with the threat of the climate crisis this is alarming. The Amazon serves as the lungs of the planet by taking in carbon dioxide, storing it in soils and producing oxygen. The Amazon rainforest is vital for regulating climate and is home to

with Reading or Basingstoke in terms of shopper volume. We need to be a bigger town centre or give up and be a small town with all the jobs and trade going to the big towns instead. DAN SARGEANT via the Newburytoday Facebook page Redevelopment is not right for market town I LIKE the comment that the public like the idea [Kennet Shopping centre redevelopment] ( Newbury Weekly News , May 13). Don’t think so. I agree we need some quirky independents in the Kennet Centre to bring it back to life with a new vibe, and housing too. But people want houses with outdoor space for families. They want to get on the property ladder in some cases. We don’t need high rise flats that make Newbury look like a city skyline. We have something special. We have a beautiful canalside and wharf. A market that needs to grow back to its former self. We need more local family shops like Griffins. We used to have coach trips coming here. That’s what we need to build on. Make ourselves stand out, not try to

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