LETTER: EU wastes billions of pounds of our money

It would appear the EU has emulated Barrowford Parish Council and also shown its contempt for the taxpayer. It is demanding a 4.9% increase in its budget which, if it goes ahead, will push our annual contribution to the EU up to £10 billion.

Like the parish council wastes hundreds of pounds putting 30 m.p.h. signs on wheelie bins which, as anyone knows, are only on view for a few hours a week, the EU wastes billions.

One example out of hundreds is the £4.5m. spent on a fleet of limousines to ferry Strasbourg MEPs around. Surely, it would be a better idea if we kept the £10 billion? The money could be used instead to improve our infrastructure and services and build hospitals, schools, care homes, prisons and roads.

Another report said the last Government’s initiative to get us to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day has, like so many predicted, been a massive flop.

So far this hare-brained scheme has gobbled up £8m. In these austere times, common sense says it should be a prime candidate for the chop.

Finally, there comes the news that Dr John Haworth, medical director for NHS East Lancashire, is to ask public and patients in Lancashire’s five primary care trusts how they would like treatments to be prioritised in future.

He says: “We welcome input from both parties in developing principles which can be used to inform decision making.”

I might be mistaken, but I have always thought people like Dr Haworth were employed, usually on massive salaries, to ensure the NHS was always in tune with people’s needs both present and future.

Anyway, that’s by the by, if the response to the public’s “input” this time is like all those in the past. Burnley’s accident and emergency closure is a classic example. Then once again, it will be little more than a time-wasting, box-ticking, public relations exercise.

G. METCALFE

Smith Street, Nelson