It’s jobs we need
(and training) not benefits bashing

Have your accidental connected these MetroTalk topics and much successful the comments.

‘Provide support, not penalties’
If the authorities is to ‘get Britain moving again’, it needs to prosecute students and link them with businesses – cutting benefits for those who diminution grooming oregon apprenticeships is simply a blunt instrument.

What they request is support, not penalties. Successive governments person failed to act, including fixing the breached Apprenticeship Levy, with apprenticeship numbers falling by 40 per cent since 2017.

Traditional acquisition is disengaging galore students. Schools conflict with absenteeism and shrinking budgets, portion transport costs artifact entree to career-focused alternatives specified arsenic University Technical Colleges (UTCs). We request systemic alteration – much backing for education, accessible pathways similar UTCs and amended enactment for businesses and young radical alike. Penalising the disadvantaged won’t lick our skills situation – providing opportunities will. David Land, Trustee, North East STEM Foundation Chair, UTC South Durham

Public transport cuts are holding workers back

‘How tin radical gain a surviving erstwhile autobus routes are cut?’
Do ministers not recognize the communal consciousness information that radical request nationalist transport to get to work? Without transport, they volition springiness up their jobs oregon get sacked.

In Calderdale, the No.590 (the main autobus connected the main roadworthy from Rochdale) was chopped from each fractional hr to each hour. This has impacted galore people.

How tin radical get connected their feet and effort to gain a surviving erstwhile buses connected main autobus routes are chopped similar this astatine the coldest clip of the year? Angela Walker, via email

Why affordable lodging feels similar a distant dream

As a lifelong nonmigratory of Walthamstow successful eastbound London, I person been watching the gathering of lodging developments Hepworth Place and Feature 17. I was funny to spot the outgo of a one-bed level successful the second was £375,000 (Metro, Tue).

How tin this authorities anticipation to lick the lodging situation erstwhile developers acceptable prices beyond the wildest dreams of astir people? The authorities tin physique millions of homes – the occupation is not the fig of homes, but the obscene cost.

Myself and millions of different moving radical tin lone ticker successful despair of ever owning a location of one’s own.

Walthamstow was traditionally a working-class area, but lifelong residents present consciousness they are not wanted. Sharon, Walthamstow Resident

Singing astatine the cinema won’t marque you ‘popular’ with this reader

‘I’ve paid to spot the film, not perceive to the audience’
Sharan Dhaliwal (Metro.co.uk) misses the constituent with her nonfiction demanding that we tolerate large radical during screenings of Wicked and different philharmonic films.

If I person chosen to be a peculiar singalong showing that a cinema has acceptable up, past that’s just capable – I’ve consciously volunteered to beryllium among like-minded radical and we tin hoot and holler each the mode though. I’ve taken my woman retired to karaoke nights for the Mamma Mia! movie and we ever person a fantastic time.

At a wide nationalist showing, however, it’s a neutral crushed and antithetic rules use – it should beryllium quiescent for the broadest accommodation. I’ve paid to ticker a film, not a show and I’ve paid to perceive to the soundtrack, not the audience.

I shouldn’t person to judge the drowning-out of the existent movie with assemblage members who are, frankly, conscionable showing disconnected and demanding attraction connected themselves – my summons was paid to the cinema, not to them!
The loudmouths are being obnoxious and anti-social. Robert Frazer, Salford

Why unsafe drivers merit tougher sentences

‘A two-year condemnation isn’t capable for ruining a life’
I’ve conscionable work astir the car clang that paralysed Catherine Davies from the cervix down (Metro, Wed). Driver George Taylor, 19, was filming himself steering with his knees erstwhile helium deed her.

He should get much than the 2 years successful jailhouse helium was sentenced and banned from driving permanently, not conscionable 40 months. He volition extremity up down a steering instrumentality again and his representation of however helium wrecked this mediocre woman’s beingness volition fade. William Barklam, Erith

Taiwan, Tibet and the lies of modern imperialism

‘Claiming Taiwan is nary antithetic from Russia claiming Ukraine’
Robert Bucknor (MetroTalk, Mon) makes the astonishing assertion that Tibet and Taiwan are an integral portion of China and besides that Northern Ireland endured a ‘civil war’ successful the caller past.

He makes the archetypal assertion to pass against meddling successful the affairs of Beijing and the 2nd arsenic portion of his statement that we would not person welcomed different countries meddling successful ours.

Neither are true. Tibet was conquered by revolutionary China successful a convulsive penetration successful the 1950s, reminiscent of Russia’s onslaught connected Poland aft the 1917 revolution.

Taiwan was the past clasp retired of the defeated nationalists successful the Chinese civilian warfare and ne'er portion of the Chinese communist party’s domain.

To marque a assertion connected territory that the indigenous colonisation rejects is old-fashioned imperialism and to swallow Chinese propaganda astir Taiwan is the aforesaid arsenic assuming Russia has a ‘claim’ to Ukraine. Both views magnitude to small much than appeasement of fascist countries intent connected dominating Asia and Europe.

Sticking up for democratic, western-supporting countries and so individuals is not ‘interference successful the interior affairs’ of Russia oregon China but alternatively showing enactment for peoples who cull a fascist future.
Northern Ireland did not endure a civilian war, that took spot further southbound successful the 1920s. Instead determination was a convulsive insurgency and brutal tribal conflict, which was yet resolved with important American input. Chris Shepherd, London

What are your thoughts? Have your accidental successful the comments belowComment Now