Over 55s should pay for the costs of coronavirus on society

Who should I pay? The virus will need to be paid for eventually, but it should not be those in work paying taxes who shoulder the burden. Young people, in their teens and twenties, have lost an important year of living their lives how they would wish, having been denied social interaction, access to the arts, and activities that are formative in their lives.

They also see their parents or grandparents comfortable in their large homes, with plenty of space to work from home if they need or want to. They probably don’t need to work as they are the recipients of those gold-plated final salary pensions that the younger generations are denied because they are not (or ever were?) affordable.

These millennials and post-millennials cannot aspire to those large family homes unless they can inherit them. As part of that older generation, I definitely feel I should be giving something back. In hindsight, it is obvious I have gained at the expense of the long-term prospects of young adults.

Rishi Sunak needs to be looking at how and when that wealth tax is applied to over-55s to pay the costs of Coronavirus on society. I’m even going to get the vaccine this year – it’s not clear they will.

Anna Taylor

Sunbury-on-Thames

National delusion

Lord Heseltine says that he cannot deny the democratic mandate to leave the EU, as it was confirmed by the 2019 election. But as Femi Oluwole points out, the Conservatives won 44 per cent of the vote, but got 56 per cent of the seats, and 52 per cent of the vote went to parties that supported another referendum.

The idea that we have electoral democracy is just part of the national delusion that we are a small country but a wonderfully brave one, with a glorious, honourable past, an important presence in the world and a secure and prosperous future. None of these is true. Nor is our belief in our democracy likely to become so, unless we find some way of reforming our electoral system into one that will restore sovereignty to parliament and the people rather than to a merely popularity-seeking prime minister.

Susan Alexander

Frampton Cotterell

Moral bankruptcy

We have been negotiating Brexit for nearly five years to arrive at something close to what we have thrown away and it will cost about 4 per cent of GNP, plus £7bn filling all the forms out. No worry, the poor will pay, they always do. The very rich have their tax havens and futures markets, so will make money and all the rest in the middle will afford it and moan.

However, the real sadness of all of this is the complete moral bankruptcy of not wanting anything to do with our neighbours. Of “we are so much better than them, so why should we help the less fortunate neighbours when we don’t really care about the less fortunate and hungry children in our own country?”

Isaac Newton said he achieved so much because “he stood on the shoulders of giants”. Oh! No he didn’t. He stood, feet planted on sovereign British soil, and discovered it all for his lonely self. Education secretary Gavin Williamson said that about current British scientists and who would know better than he, totally in control of education in the land. We don’t need collaboration or international conferences, I expect that Williamson tells them not to bother reading anything that isn’t in a British journal as well?

As for culture, well Boris Johnson has talked about our “friends in Europe”. He has a way of saying that with a smirk and perhaps indicating ... no friends of mine! His opting out of Erasmus, a wonderful and successful scheme to benefit the youth of Europe, is another act of moral bankruptcy. There is no concern for the youth, who are the future. Surely they will know what to do with Johnson and this Tory party of pompous Etonians?

Robert Murray

Nottingham

Hold them to account

I don’t think it is for the leader of the opposition to “engage in constructive dialogue with the government” (letter, 1 January); not when that means the sort of chancers and opportunists currently wielding power. Never has it been more important to hold the executive to account. It is Kier Starmer’s job to make Boris Johnson sweat, not play nice.

Richard Walker

Worcetsershire

The deserving poor

About withdrawing the temporary increase in universal credit… if the current rate is considered to be the correct amount to pay at the moment, how can it reasonably be reduced by £20 per week after 6 April?

It seems that the government is reverting to early 19th century ideas about the less fortunate in our society – those who have recently lost their jobs because of Covid are the "deserving poor", but woe betide those feckless individuals who are unable to immediately step into a new job during the continuing pandemic, and those who were unfortunate to be at the bottom of the employment ladder at the beginning of last year.

They are not worthy of full support and should be made to scrape by on less than is currently deemed necessary as an incentive to try harder. Perhaps the next step will be to convert all the offices left empty because of home working into workhouses?

Tim Sidaway

Hertfordshire

To the detriment of many

I read Michael Heseltine's column with great interest because he has always reiterated that to leave the EU was a grave mistake and one Britain in the future would regret.

Somehow, almost casually facilitated by David Cameron because he wanted his faction of Eurosceptics to stop banging on about Europe, we have been placed in this position of infamously sidelining ourselves from this great and unifying project. He is correct, we have left the club of our own short-sighted volition, expecting perhaps other states to make similar moves. Of course, the EU has problems (what large organisation hasn’t?) but it still makes a great deal of economic and cultural sense.

To misquote Churchill’s famous phase and apologies in advance: “Never was so much influence extended by so few to the detriment of so many” – I sense he might agree.

Judith A. Daniels

Norfolk

Another U-turn

Almost any primary school pupil would make a much better education secretary than Gavin Williamson. Delaying the inevitable for weeks and then U-turning and repeating this pattern again and again is simply beyond belief. It’s definitely not leadership! Schools need to stay closed across the UK – Gavin Williamson lacks the basic intellect to realise the glaringly obvious. He needs to go.

Sebastian Monblat

Sutton

Critical resources

Boris Johnson would perhaps wish to be seen as being in the mould of Sir Winston Churchill. But I doubt if his at times ruthless predecessor would have handed out steel helmets to the elderly while much of the infantry had yet to be issued with these.

We see the vaccine being given to those whose only contact with the general population is via their carers, who are themselves being vaccinated. At the same time medical staff treating the infected are having to work in cumbersome full PPE and in many cases to be absent for several days of self-isolation.

Thus we are failing to make most effective use of the two critical resources of the moment.


John Riseley


Harrogate

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