'Worse than flu? Reader takes aim at Doctor Starmer’s hypocrisy' - Your Letters plus a throwback to a 1950s Christmas in Wem

​We are taking nasty medicine

It's that time of the year folks when your mother used to pour weird medication down your throat and follow it with a spoonful of sugar (as the song goes).

This year, we are all doomed due to flu which I can confidently guess will result in a documentary by the Beeb comparing 2025 with the 1918 outbreak or even the Black Death.

Worse even than flu is the requirement that we Brits swallow a couple of spoonfuls of Doctor Starmer's hypocrisy. Prior to taking charge of our well being, the doc warned that those useless, costly, ermine wearing dumbos in the House of Lords could watch out. Even complete eradication of the disease was hinted at.

We now find that 25 specially selected has-beens from the London and the South in the Westminster bubble are to be added to an already bursting Chamber. Add to that a handful of Lib Dums and Tories and we are heading towards a crowd of 900, the second largest gathering of politicians outside of the pretend Chinese government

But wait, all is not lost. The Beeb reports an unexpected reduction in GDP. Unexpected? It has been obvious that this would be the result of Labour economic lunacy. Even so, you will expect a few drops of Labour snake oil from our Chancelloress who will beam that there will be yet another reduction in interest rates helping "hard working families" The B of E will have little choice in the matter in a vain attempt to shore up a failing economy

Alan M Etheridge, Midlands

Peace on Earth to all men?

As we near the "Peace on Earth to all men" time of the year the song that cruelly reminds us of the many countries at war and those under threats of war if pushed. Like Putin or Trump for example with their demands.

Thankfully, the UK up to recently lived under the safety wing of a convicted criminal and liar. Trump seems to have cooled off recently in favour of another criminal and liar (but not yet convicted one) ruling Russia. Trump claims to have solved eight or nine wars so far. If he counts Ukraine or Gaza among his successes then among any reasonable person doubts will start to appear. We know he is very keen to get the Nobel Peace Prize, but surely with his record he should be ruled out.

The UK position is made worse by Starmer waffling along. Up until recently he was bowing down to Trump. A fatal mistake, when he should have tried to repair the biggest mistake ever - leaving the EU with its vast markets on our doorstep. Let us hope the mid term elections in the USA see some sense and sort Trump out. Then we can go back to normality by spending billions on weapons and ignoring the poor and needy, with billionaires living well as usual.

Perhaps the new year will bring some hope.

Roger Cain, Ludlow

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