Letters to the Editor – week ending 4th October 2026

Read what people have been writing to our editor about this week. Find out how to share your own views here.

Hope Again

My father was a Labour member for 50 years, but withdrew his membership with Blairs blue politics. I know, if my father was alive today, he would rejoin the party he once loved.

I fled to Denmark ( where I live now) with Thatcher’s politics, yes maybe a cowardly escape, but I´ve learned a lot about ” Scandinavian Socialism” – something the UK should be aiming for.

Best wishes and good luck.

Paul Dearman

*****

Good speech indeed

 But I’m disappointed that he hasn’t reframed the story about immigration and its huge  benefits to Britain- rather than applauding the drop in numbers  etc

Can he have the courage  to grasp this one too?

Gideon Ben-Tovim OBE
Wavertree CLP 

*****

I believe that Andy Burnham speech at the Labour Party conference was a great speech. 

Andy Burnham has the makings of great leader and I believe he cares and listens to the working class people of this country. I believe the newspapers, many of them right wing, are unfair towards Andy Burnham and the Labour Party.  There are some strong headwinds heading our way with the war in Iran continuing, oil prices and household energy bills rising due to the war in Iran and petrol prices rising as well which is causing higher inflation and higher food prices in the supermarkets. 

Labour can only do so much – they cannot solve the worlds problems. The conservatives and Reform could do no better under the present situation. The Conservatives will always be a party for the rich people. We must remember also, Reform party policies did not add up financially at the last general election and probably will not add up at the next general election. 

Yours sincerely

Mr S Weaver
Croydon

*****

Dear Emma, the speech was great,  for all the reasons mentioned.  Two major issues remain: 

1 Recognising that there is no need for the government to ‘borrow ‘ from the bond markets as it can issue its own currency (it is still important to provide a safe place for pension funds, banks and insurance companies to save their money). Also the rates of interest on Central Bank Reserve Accounts need to be reduced

2 Dealing with the still growing levels of inequality by taxing the very wealthy. The means for doing this,  aside from a wealth tax already exist in the current tax framework. 

Best wishes

Kim Davies

*****

When I moved from the US to the UK to run my company, one difference struck me immediately: Britain waits a month to pay its workers. In America, wages land twice a month — and with modern payroll software that’s a toggle, not a burden.

The maths is striking. UK wages total £1.51 trillion a year — nearly £63 billion every pay period. The 30-day wait keeps that money sitting on corporate balance sheets while families juggle broken boilers and dental bills against the 28th of the month. Faster payroll also means faster GDP growth – 15 days of UK payroll is almost 2% of GDP. 

Faster pay smooths household cash flow, cuts reliance on payday lenders, and keeps money moving through local shops. It’s a pro-worker growth policy that costs the Treasury nothing. It’s the easiest way to speed up our economy and Labour should own it.

Marc Blinder
CEO of Ayrshare
London

*****

Dear Emma

I couldn’t believe Karin Christiansen’s apocalyptic forecast for us at the next election. The new General Secretary’s task she writes is ‘minimising general election losses’ against a possible ‘historic collapse’ with ‘the largest losses of labour seats in the Party’s history’.

There’s realism and there’s defeatism.

We have a new prime minister, with a massive majority, riding high in the polls and three years before August 2029. All those wonderful advantages for Andy, the team and us members to get this country back on its feet again. How brilliant is that.

Chris Jenner
Wells & Mendip Hills CLP

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