All of what Frances O’Grady has to say in her excellent article on our parlous economic state bears repeating (“A real recovery would mean better conditions for everyone”, Business). But for us a couple of points stand out.
First, the absurdly large expenditure going on in-work benefits and, second, Tory plans to further restrict trade union activities. In-work benefits effectively subsidise employers, boosting their notional profits by reducing their labour costs. Stripped of its modish accoutrements (learning how to bake one’s own cakes, volunteering for public service et al) “austerity” is what one gets when all other state activity has to be pared to the bone in order to finance this subsidy.
So to the second point. In the Tory vision of the future, austerity will not be coming to an end soon. As the anti-union plans show, they have in mind the low wage economy as the new normal, with all of its attendant financial risks (low paid workers still need to top up on unsecured debt) and widespread misery.
Dr William Dixon
Dr David Wilson
London Metropolitan University
London E1
Hearing aid cuts unjustifiable
Reports of NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) restricting the number of hearing aids they provide in order to save money and of other CCGs considering cuts to audiology services (“NHS accused of ‘cruel’ rationing of hearing aids”, News) prompts questions about how costs and benefits are weighed in the NHS. There is a danger that short-term savings can do long-term damage that leads to higher expenditure in other parts of the health system.
A realistic assessment of the benefits of hearing aids that takes into account the quality of life of the hearing-impaired person would mean that rationing access to them would be very difficult to justify. It is reassuring that NHS England is clear that hearing loss should be considered in terms of its impact on health and wellbeing. As CCGs review their expenditure plans, including on audiology services, they should be aware of the bigger picture.
Neil Small
Professor of health research University of Bradford
The right to be vulgar
Barbara Ellen is quite right about the reactions of some people to the decor of some celebrities (“Such bad taste to mock someone’s bad taste, darling”, Comment). If some stars want to live in a John Waters film-set, that’s their choice: rather glad I’ll never be asked round, though.
Steve Hayes
Leven
Fife
Migrants’ boost to Germany
Kate Connolly’s report on the Pegida movement in the German city of Dresden portrays the xenophobic, nationalist and anti-immigrant sentiments of its supporters well (“Dresden crowds tell a chilling tale of Europe’s fear of migrants”, News). However, her assertion that Germany’s economy “is straining to deal with a record intake of more than 200,000 asylum seekers in 2014” is simply wrong.
The German economy greatly profits from immigration. Connolly also claims that the link between Pegida and an arson attack on a home for asylum seekers and a graffiti attack on a mosque is “so far unfounded”. This might be true in a strict “legal” sense. However, there is an obvious political link between far-right groups, neo-Nazi organisations and xenophobic, anti-immigrant organisations such as Pegida.
Peter Skrandies
London N22
Putin’s not such a bad guy
In an otherwise perceptive leader on a perilous year ahead for Europe (“A year of living dangerously looms for Europe”, Comment), it was surprising to find your newspaper still harping on about the danger of Russia in the manner of a 19th-century thunderer at the time of the Crimean War. Russia poses as about as big a threat to the rest of Europe as Sheffield United does to Manchester City.
It is a recovering country driven into a self-defensive position by Nato’s expansion westwards and America’s obsession with keeping the rest of Europe under its military control and sway. Putin is not a pacifist saint, but nor are Obama or Cameron, who have much more blood than Russia on their hands from military interventions, and who bear some responsibility, through destabilising regime-change policies, for the plight of Mediterranean refugees depicted on your front page.
Richard Woolley
Pickering
N Yorkshire
Don’t scoff at what I scoffed
Barbara Ellen, as someone who has just booked a two-week stay in Portugal for a juice cleanse, may I explain the reason why I didn’t do this in September (“With my trusty Curly Wurly, I defy fitness bores”, Comment)?
1. Consumption of approx 20 mince pies over Christmas.
2. Consumption of approx 40 chocolate reindeers, snowmen and Father Christmases over Christmas.
3. Consumption of approx 20 chipolatas, 3 plates of left-over goose and sundry stuffing.
4. Christmas pud and cream x 6.
I have not been a bore about my cleansing and fitness trip, as it will only highlight my gluttony!
Carol-Anne Turner
London NW3
