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Can Government be trusted over pensions?

This month 10 million workers will have a large chunk of money taken from their wages every week to be put into a government-

backed pension.

To those affected, be warned before making a decision to fully commit to this possible government con trick.

Please listen to a debate secured by Bethan Sayed AM (www.Senedd.tv) at the Welsh Assembly on January 23. Highlighting the pension injustice still being inflicted on the former ASW steelworkers and others, Bethan and AMs from all parties spoke with passion about how these workers were well and truly stitched up by successive UK Governments’ flawed pension policies, workers whose only crime was to put their trust in the Government to always do the right thing by them, only for that trust to be betrayed.

To those 10 million workers, ask your MP if you will receive in full all monies paid into your pension when the time comes for you to retire. Don’t be fobbed off by the cheap words that they are on your side. ASW steelworkers are proof of how dishonest and uncaring Parliamentarians can be; they were told their pensions were safe and protected, only to have up to 50% or more stolen from theirs.

To conclude. The only way pensioners can be sure of not having their hard-earned pensions stolen from them is for the Government to put them in the same pension scheme as MPs. And I am afraid that will never happen, end of.

John Benson

Dinas Powys

Too much money going on top jobs

With all schools in Cardiff desperately needing funds to function properly how can we afford 17 council officials being paid more than the Prime Minister?

This could be a waste of breath as I doubt if anything will change. What a mess!

Ron Boyce

Cardiff

No longer a democracy

WHAT a fiasco – our politicians are a load of self-indulgent, self-serving, back-stabbing individuals only interested in their own advancement. Who needs enemies while they are looking after the welfare of this country? We can no longer respect or admire them.

Many millions of families in this country and throughout the Commonwealth lost loved ones in the two world wars to go to the aid of France and other European countries. My own grandfather was badly wounded in World War I and suffered throughout the rest of his life, for what purpose?

These politicians have succeeded where Hitler failed: we have become subservient to Germany and France.

We are the only country which pays all its dues to the EU where our money is wasted on expenses and salaries of self-opinionated, so-called members of the EU and their hangers-on. They can’t account where they spend all our money. Mrs Thatcher managed to claw back some of our money, which Mr Blair promptly gave back to ingratiate himself with the higher echelons of the EU.

This country is no longer a democracy. Our politicians criticise other countries for not listening to their voters but they do exactly as they please.

The number of people who vote in elections in this country is already at a low ebb and I think it will fall even further as there is no point in us wasting our time when the politicians take no notice of our efforts or opinions.

Iona David

Miskin

Our independence lies with leaving EU

IN his letter to the Echo of April 2 (“Wales would continue to trade”), Andrew Nutt states that the SNP lost the independence referendum vote in Scotland because of project fear and suggests Wales suffers from the same scenario.

The facts, however, tell a different story. In a recent poll in Wales carried out by Edinburgh University only 19% of the people who were polled voted for an independent Wales and only 4% said they felt ethnically European.

The fact that Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price’s own constituency voted 53% to leave the EU seems to have evaded him; another example of a politician promising to represent the will of the people and then going against their wishes for his own political aims.

Wales has been a member of the union since 1536 and staying in the EU has been voted against as would a referendum on independence for Wales. We will, however, have independence once we leave the EU.

Ray Jones

Ely, Cardiff

Public’s views are being ignored

I have serious concerns for democracy when a scrutiny motion is supported by all party members and a recommendation is made to cabinet to reject closing Pontllanfraith Leisure Centre – and is then rejected by the Labour cabinet.

Has the cabinet system in Caerphilly got so little regard for all the other elected members and the public of 5,700 who signed a petition supporting Pontllanfraith and Cefn Forest leisure centres remaining open a number of months ago? This is not the first time, with cabinet previously recommending the leisure strategy not going to full council to be discussed by 73 elected members, again a scrutiny committee decision ignored.

Do scrutiny views and the public count for nothing within Caerphilly when cabinet can veto decisions?

I hope the public will remember these decisions, especially when former MPs and the current MP marched through Blackwood with hundreds of residents against the closure of Pontllanfraith Centre in protest. But this is Caerphilly, which has raised council tax 6.95% and closed the public toilets, and the next local elections are not for three years.

Kevin Etheridge

Blackwood

Resisting pressure for a smart meter

I’VE read the letter from Richard Shurey (Echo, April 10) regarding the installation of smart meters and wanted to say what happened to me.

I was with EDF Energy for both gas and electric and I received a letter from them informing me that if I didn’t have a smart meter installed they could no longer keep me on the tariff I was currently using and would have to go to a dearer one. I regarded this as a form of blackmail and informed them so, and then terminated my contract with them and joined a different firm.

Almost instantly they informed me their installers were in my area and I could have a smart meter immediately. I informed them the reason I joined their company was because I had been assured there would be no pressure to have one. No problem – they took my name off their list.

I appreciate the fact that it is going to become compulsory in 2020 to have a smart meter, but until that time I reserve the right to make my own choice without being pressured into doing something I don’t want to.

Miss Patricia M Davies

Bargoed