Letters: Cameron brings home a gift to the Out campaign

The following letters appear in the 3rd February edition of the Independent

(Reuters)

First impressions of David Cameron’s “renegotiations” with the EU suggest that they will do nothing at all to assuage the sceptics – if anything, rather provide them with useful ammunition.

By their limited and rather nit-picking degree of success they will reinforce the impression that we are indeed dealing with a political monolith over which we have no control, perversely giving many of the don’t-knows the impetus to join the sceptics.

So, business as usual.

Ian Bartlett

East Molesey, Surrey

Growing up on the coast of Cornwall, as a pro-European, my main concerns relate to the Common Agricultural Policy (which pays farmers to set aside land which could be used for food) and the Common Fisheries Policy (which forces trawlermen to dump thousands of tonnes of fish each year).

David Cameron’s demands, which he describes as a good deal for Britain, are trivial and address neither of these pressing issues. His demands are, in essence, irrelevant to this country.

Sadly, just as with Google’s taxes, our government could have demanded far more but appears to be prepared to settle for too little.

Nick Winstone-Cooper

Bridgend, Glamorgan

Like Janet Watson’s neighbour (letter, 2 February), I often grumble about there being too many people in the UK, but this does not lead me to change my long-held view that we should remain in Europe.

But one can ask the question why, being part of a European Union with freedom of movement, giving employers access to a Europe-wide workforce, should the UK permit anyone from outside the EU to come and work here at all?

Mark Ogden’s excellent column (2 February) about how Chelsea are able to import an average Brazilian footballer, Pato, who was once a “golden boy”, but who meets none of the tightened-up rules on work permits for footballers, when there are not only home grown but also European players to choose from, says it all.

John Orton

Bristol

What Putin is fighting his Syrian war for

You quote the Foreign Secretary as saying, with regard to Vladimir Putin, “We have no idea what his game plan is” (2 February).

Surely Putin’s motivation is always to be seen as an impressive leader; he is pragmatic as to the outcome. He wishes to make his mark, by using Russian military might to help Assad eliminate Isis.

He will not admit defeat, or be subservient to others, and will therefore do what he can to bolster the political and military power of Assad. He will see most of the opponents to Assad as an obstacle hindering his objectives and conclude that they should to be swept away rather than mollified.

It is the West that is prolonging the conflict in Syria by pretending that those opponents of Assad are capable of contributing to a cohesive opposition to Isis. The opponent of Assad that got closest to being cohesive was Isis.

There might have been a time when the borders could have been re-aligned to separate Shia, Sunni and Kurdish populations, but that would have meant talking to Isis. The best the West can do is ensure that when it is all over Assad realises that he will be accountable for any ongoing human rights abuses.

Jon Hawksley

London EC1

Western leaders display a profound misunderstanding of the nature of the Middle East in their preoccupation with the removal of Bashar Assad.

Focusing on Bashar Assad ignores the role of clan throughout this region. It is the Assad clan that rules Syria. Bashar inherited the leadership as his father’s son according to clan traditions. Remove him and another of his family will step into his place; and Assad policies will continue.

This has long been a region driven by family or clan honour, and the blood feud. With all the blood that has been spilt there over the past 50 years, removing Bashar will be no more than the smallest step, if one at all, towards regional peace.

These are some of the difficult historical issues that must be addressed now if there is to be any prospect of peace in the region. I fear that this may be beyond our party political leaders.

Michael Harvey-Phillips

Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire

NHS displays – and deserves – patience

Recently, after collapsing on arrival at Heathrow after a long-haul flight, I was taken to the nearest A&E department, where my problem was diagnosed and treated with great efficiency and I was treated with real kindness by an unfailingly cheerful “United Nations” team of medical professionals. While waiting I witnessed three small incidents which showed the some of the problems these professionals have to face.

In the first, the consultant spent 20 to 30 minutes dealing with a “formal” complaint voiced by a couple. The doctor was accused of “treating the wife disrespectfully” because he had smiled at her when she had said she “wasn’t feeling too well” in reply to his enquiry. Then he was accused of “discriminating against her” because, when he saw she lived in a neighbouring borough, he had commented on her being some way from home. In handling this situation the doctor displayed patience I could never aspire to.

In the second and probably very common incident, the kindness shown by two nurses to an elderly, frail lady who did not want to be transferred to an old people’s home verged on the saintly.

In the third incident, a pharmacist took more than 20 minutes going through a seemingly endless array of medicines and potions in a patient’s bag, whilst all the time the patient was saying, “I only ever take an occasional paracetamol.” His efficiency and patience was exemplary and may help alleviate whatever the lady was suffering from – maybe caused by some cocktail of these drugs.

These medical professionals – doctors, nurses, pharmacists, radiologists, phlebotomists – all worked with competence, cheerfulness, kindness and mind-bending patience caring for everyone’s health, no matter how elderly, awkward, frail or arrogant we patients may be.

Surely we can do better than just engage in childlike arguments and counter-arguments about the running of the NHS. Surely we can unite and talk through the best way forward for all?

April Beynon

Mumbles, Swansea

Left bereft by the death of Terry Wogan

How can I feel so bereft that a man I never met has gone? Though many hours have passed since I heard of Sir Terry Wogan’s passing I still keep finding tears rolling down my face. As he would say, I look a right eejit.

I’m sure I’m far from the only person who knew him just through radio or television and yet feels as sorrowful as if an actual family member has departed. But that was one of his many gifts: to walk in and make himself right at home in our hearts.

Lynda Williams

Wallasey, Wirral

I couldn’t help noticing that The Independent’s coverage of the death of Terry Wogan was a tenth of that for David Bowie, despite the absolutely undeniable fact that Sir Terry was closer to the hearts of far more of the British nation than an albeit great musician.

Was this restraint due to your newspaper now feeling guilty about its role in the tidal wave of mawkish response to David Bowie’s passing, belatedly restoring a sense of proportion about celebrity demise? Or is a 12-page supplement on Sir Terry already under way?

Mike Park

London SE9

Terry Wogan and I enjoyed correspondence on things Cornish. I managed to get Terry to say deth Syn piran loweth (Happy St Piran’s day) in Cornish on our national day, becoming the first national broadcaster to speak our language on the BBC.

Tim James

Penzance, Cornwall

Victims of the Highland clearances

Amanda Baker (letter, 30 January) finds it incomprehensible that there is no UK memorial to the victims of the African slave trade. As a descendant of evicted Highlanders I find it reprehensible that there is no Scottish or British national memorial to the thousands evicted and exiled during the Highland Clearances.

The Clearances lasted for over 100 years and in 1884 the Napier Commission reported that between 1840 and 1883 at least 34,700 had been evicted from the Isle of Skye alone. A number of the tyrannical landlords were sitting members at Westminster, including Lord MacDonald; Sir James Matheson and the Marquis of Stafford (Duke of Sutherland).

Donald J MacLeod

Aberdeen

Information in the local language

Regarding the issue of regional grammar (letter, 1 February), I notice that the tourist authorities in Hampshire are adopting the local dialect. Road signs now state “For New Forest Information follow i”.

Dougal Dixon

Wareham, Dorset