‘Magic money trees’ go to root of Rishi Sunak’s difficulties – Yorkshire Post Letters

I WAS quite excited when I heard that the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, as a last resort, was taking over the Forestry Commission to plant billions of money trees (Sequoia lotteritis. var. johnsoniana), up in the wilds of Kielder, Northumberland, in the expectation of saving our generation and future ones.

I was hoping that they would soon start to bear fruit as the country was beginning to take on the look of a turkey farm at the end of December. But soon, inevitably, my hopes were swiftly shattered by learning that the Chancellor would have to withdraw the scheme as bio-chemists had recently discovered the money trees had to be lavishly treated with a special fertiliser to yield their precious fruit – gold dust (aurea klondikeus dropsy).

I should have known it. It confirms, of course, the reality that such pie-in-the sky free lunches are invariably followed by nasty desserts and turn out, in the long run, to be dogs’ breakfasts. Roll on Christmas!

From: Dr Rob Harwood, Chair, BMA consultants committee.

FOR weeks the public has shown its appreciation for NHS and social care staff; the review body on doctors’ and dentists’ remuneration should have done the same and recommended that doctors were given the remuneration they rightly deserve. Instead doctors have been given a metaphorical slap in the face.

The Government has put billions of pounds into business and industry to help keep the economy afloat during this pandemic, but it has shown it is not willing to do the same for those on the frontline of this pandemic.

This uplift means, for many, their take home pay rises between just £15 and £24 per week and doctors quite rightly should be bitterly disappointed and may even be insulted by this week’s news, particularly given the sacrifices they have made.

Many of the most highly skilled doctors in the NHS have seen their pay whittled away year on year with minimal or no pay rises – with many having suffered a 30 per cent real-terms pay cut over the last decade. This was the perfect opportunity for the Government to show it values our doctors and give them the pay they deserve.

From; Andrew Mercer, Guiseley.

LET’S have some humility, please, from the public sector over pay – this week’s rise comes when the private sector, i.e. taxpayers, is facing, at best, a pay freeze, and, in many cases, salary cuts or redundancy.