Do you agree with our readers? Have your say on these MetroTalk topics and more in the comments.
Is Britain broken or is Labour ‘not the party it used to be?’ Reader asks
Further to the divided nation described in the Shattered Britain survey by More In Common (Metro, Mon).
It is ironic that so many people in this country use words such as ‘broken’ and ‘shattered’ about Britain when thousands of migrants risk life and limb to get here.
Maybe some of them will see this report – in which the most common words used to describe the country were ‘broken’, ‘mess’, ‘struggling’, ‘divided’ and ‘expensive’ – and decide not to come!
And yet, I do not think the country is as bad as they say it is.
All the people I see are quite friendly. When I go shopping, I can always find the things I want. In the odd case of not finding something, there is always another store to find it in.
I am sure there are many people in many lands that would like that.
But there is a problem with politicians. Labour is not the party it used to be. Instead of helping the underprivileged, it seems to be attacking them. The really galling thing is there seems to be no idea about trying to get any money from the very rich.
There was an article in Metro about a group of wealthy individuals who call themselves Patriotic Millionaires who are willing to be taxed more. Has Labour even considered this? Larry, Salford
Who’s to blame for broken Britain?
‘Politicians? We don’t trust any of you,’ ran your front page headline on the Shattered Britain report. It is our own fault. We vote for them and we accept them. We have made them our politicians. Asher Najmi, via email
Death to democracy? Reader proposes a plutocratic planet
After World War II the United Nations agreed upon a universal code of ethics – democratic decisions arrived at by majority consensus in all spheres of human activity were held to be sacrosanct.
I totally subscribed to this principle until recently. No decision can ever be arrived at by a mere majority vote. Why should we believe that just because 52 per cent voted to leave the EU it was the right decision?
I have watched Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? on TV for years – the majority vote does not always get the correct answer.
China is not a democracy but it is racing ahead of the rest of the world in economic productivity.
In the US, Donald Trump is threatening the economic growth of democracies across the world.
I propose that a handful of the richest and brightest (philanthropist-capitalists) form a plutocracy and preside over the future affairs of our planet. Migel Jayasinghe, Purley
‘More life experience than any politician today’, reader defends Tebbit
Helen (MetroTalk, Tue) may have her own views on Norman Tebbit but she totally devalues them by saying he had ‘intellectual shortcomings and limited life experience’.
Tebbit was an RAF pilot – for which you need a good intellect – narrowly escaped death in a flying accident, became an airline pilot and a leading light in their union BALPA.
On top of that, he again narrowly escaped death in the IRA Brighton bombing and thereafter cared for his disabled wife. That’s more life experience than any politician today can boast about. John Daniels, Redhill
