I shall be 97 this year (Feedback from a 96-year-old reader that made my day, Open door, 12 March). I started reading the Guardian as a young woman and have loved it ever since. It is dropped through my letterbox every morning, and my day revolves around reading the various sections – the news and comment, the sport, arts and reviews, and of course the quick crossword, which I have a go at every night before going to sleep.
I do not like what’s happening in the world today. I often feel I must be one of the few people who can clearly remember the amazing changes in this country after 1945, not least the beginning of the NHS. It makes me so sad and angry to read about the government’s persistent attempts to destroy it with underfunding and increasing privatisation. I appreciate the Guardian’s continued thoughtful and forthright reporting.
Mary Moser
London
• Whichever party “wins” the local elections in May could find itself presented with a poisoned chalice. The situation in local government is so dire that, unless reform of structure and finance is undertaken within the next couple of years, large swathes of services, and facilities for that matter, will just disappear, possibly for ever.
I’m sure that many people won’t care, just as I am sure that many people won’t even bother to vote, as they see little relevance in their local councils and councillors. Looking at the calibre of some, they might just have a point. So, central government, despite your obsession with Brexit, just grasp the nettle and do what is necessary to restore to good health what used to be the cornerstone of our democracy and could be again.
John Marriott
(Councillor 1987-2017), North Hykeham, Lincolnshire
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