Given councils will have to rely increasingly on income from business rates as the government ends funding through revenue support grants the prospect of business rate reductions outside of London is a mixed blessing (Report, 1 October). A mechanism for redistributing business rates will become essential if even more swingeing cuts in local services are to be avoided and as yet no details of such a formula are available.
Jeremy Beecham
Labour, House of Lords
• Labour activists may like to consider: I’ve not heard ordinary people complain of wage stagnation; few of austerity, but any number of immigration. Who are you trying to win round? (Letters, 29 September).
John Hall
Shipley, West Yorkshire
• Large numbers of people have migrated into the Labour party. Why isn’t the whole party embracing the growth and cultural changes that result from this? Am I alone in detecting hypocrisy and xenophobia? Perhaps we might create a fund to help many in Labour adjust to the rate of change which is causing them so many difficulties.
Greg Edwards
Farnham, Surrey
• Although I was initially captivated by Ed Balls on Strictly Come Dancing, if Ann Widdecombe is giving you advice to lighten up and look as if you’re having fun (Report, 1 October), surely this is the point to realise that wearing skinny jeans while gyrating maniacally is not the best decision you’ve ever made. There’s always Ant and Dec in the jungle, Ed.
Ian Grieve
Steyning, West Sussex
• In line with other welfare payments, should not farm subsidies be means-tested?
Dr John Doherty
Vienna
• Healthy scepticism abut the weather is evident in the north of other countries as well as England (Tim Dowling, 28 September). The people of Normandy have a saying: “Il y a un risque de beau temps.”
Peter Wrigley
Birstall, West Yorkshire
• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com
