Do you agree with our readers? Have your say on these MetroTalk topics and more in the comments.
Reader asks, why aren’t our politicians bringing us together?
There is much to discuss in the world today. Unfortunately, politicians try to hone it down to a sentence or two.
And there is nothing worse than divisiveness in the summation. It pits people against each other and creates unnecessary conflict. It sets you against me, neighbour against neighbour and leaves no room for compromise.
So when Nigel Farage outlines his policy to deport 600,000 asylum seekers (Metro, Wed) and offers the ‘safety of women and children’ or ‘outdated treaties’ that have served us well in the past and continue to do so, we find ourselves having to make a choice.
The reality of course is, as always, somewhere in the middle.
Despite what Mr Farage would have us believe, the European Convention on Human Rights does give us leeway to deport people. The Swedes and Danes do it perfectly well. This would leave our women and children safe and still provide us with fundamental rights that Reform UK has no plans to replace. As my 97-year-old mother reminds me, ‘Be wary of little men saying big things.’ A politician’s role should be to bring people together, not divide them. Tony Howarth, London
‘Protesters should take them in themselves’, says reader
What a great idea from Kris (MetroTalk, Tue) – that protesters supporting immigrants should take in a migrant themselves. By the same token, all those protesters who have suddenly become concerned about our own homeless being denied the help afforded to asylum seekers could take in a homeless person. Nick, Battersea
Culture clash or culture blend?
Do the people raising St George flags and saying they are worried our culture is being subjugated, go to the cinema to watch an American film, then go for a curry and Danish lagers, and then book a taxi driven by a Pakistani? G Hume, Sale
We must be the ‘only nation that look on any display of national pride as being obscene’, says reader
Do any Scottish readers take exception to Julian (MetroTalk, Tue) describing the display of national flags – in their case, the saltire – as making the country look like ‘a cheap circus sideshow’. Or is it just the St George’s cross he despises?
Got a question about UK politics?
Send in yours and Metro’s Senior Politics Reporter Craig Munro will answer it in an upcoming edition of our weekly politics newsletter. Email alrightgov@metro.co.uk or submit your question here.
We must be the only nation in the world where people are so ashamed of their heritage that they look on any display of national pride as being obscene. John Daniels, Redhill
Reader asks, why are we so against to fly our national flag?
Other European countries are happy to display their national flag, so why are people here so upset, especially when they are happy to wave a Palestinian or an LGBTQ+ flag? Leslie, Stourbridge
If in doubt, block it out
Regarding the complaints about public transport announcements (MetroTalk, Wed). If you are a first-time user, they are important. Even occasional users will find them useful – and for disabled travellers they are a must.
I just put on noise-cancelling headphones. Neil Dance, Birmingham
