Letters reveal deep concerns about healthcare, business taxes and cultural changes
Readers share personal stories about end-of-life care and discuss recent business tax changes. Letters also touch on cultural debates including Christmas celebrations and defense spending priorities
Health-care experiences paint a mixed picture of end-of-life support. Denise Neilson describes her friends painful last days‚ waiting hours for palliative care visits; while Liz Harrison shares her daughters story at a hospice where despite good care some symptoms couldnt be managed. A former chief coroner‚ Thomas Teague‚ points out issues with the new assisted-dying Bills oversight rules
The recent Budget changes hit business owners hard. Local enterprises face tough inheritance-tax rules - Andrew Harris notes how regional economies depend on private firms (which now lost tax protection just like farmers did). Malcolm Ainge who built a 30-million pound business must now give away assets earlier than planned to avoid huge tax bills
Cultural shifts create heated debates. In France‚ church-state separation works well since the early 1900s; their model shows how such changes dont harm national identity. A school headʼs decision to remove Christmas from a pantomime got mixed responses:
- Some say it makes certain groups feel “safe“
- Others point to successful multicultural celebrations
- Many question if such changes are really needed
The arts scene up north needs help. Opera lovers express worries about limited access: Welsh National Opera dropped some locations; Glyndebourne stopped Liverpool visits. The English National Operaʼs planned move to Manchester in 5 years might help but some say its too late
Defense spending becomes more urgent as global risks grow. Christopher Samuel highlights how citizens dont realize the impact of military cuts. A retired commander‚ J R M Prime‚ warns about current defense reductions - pointing out that similar cuts almost hurt the UK during past conflicts
