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Will Jim Ratcliffe 'remove all non-British-born players', reader questions?
After Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s vile remarks (Metro, Fri) about Britain being ‘colonised by immigrants’ – quoting incorrect figures, to boot – I assume the Manchester United owner will take action by removing all non-British-born players from his teams and allow only British-born supporters into Old Trafford.
Of course, that would be cutting off his nose to spite his face (and lose him money), so that would be a step too far. Maybe he will just join like-minded members of Reform and be seen hugging Nigel Farage on stage. Who knows? A Lloyd, Liverpool
Reader says that immigration is essential, so that ‘humanity – a species inherently disposed to migration – can one day reach for the stars’
Sir Jim was spot on. Without even thinking about it, I can list the Romans, the Anglo-Saxons, the Vikings and, most recently, the Normans, each of whom has brought their own flavours to the rich cultural melting pot that our nation has always been.
Our social fabric, like our language, has drawn from every ‘other’ that it has encountered and become deeper and more vibrant because of it.
Some people seem to think that civilisation is static but it is a process that draws people forward together, the whole world over, and for that it has to continually evolve and grow so that humanity – a species inherently disposed to migration – can one day reach for the stars. Julian Self, Wolverton
Was Charles Brohiri’s sentence fair?
Your story about serial fare dodger Charles Brohiri (Metro, Thu) gave the impression he had somehow got away with it because he had been spared jail.
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I would disagree. He was sentenced to a spell in prison but it was deferred and instead given 150 hours unpaid work and had to attend a rehabilitation programme and repay more than £3,000. This was indeed a rigorous sentence with some deprivation of liberty.
If he had been banged up in a cell for three months he would have spent 20 hours a day lying on his bunk with no way to repay his debts and possibly be jobless after release. Jail is not always the answer and the judge should be commended for giving the man one more chance, coupled with a dire warning if he reoffends. Rodney Jones, Greater Manchester
‘The innocent are being punished and the real criminals are getting off with a token slap on the wrist’, says reader
I wouldn’t dream of not buying a train ticket but was recently fined £100 (reduced by half for paying promptly) plus the cost of a new ticket. This was all due to a member of staff at Birmingham New Street directing me on to the wrong train. I offered to pay for a correct ticket but was denied the opportunity, despite there being a guard on board who could easily have done this.
It was distressing and humiliating. My appeal was rejected. The innocent are being punished and the real criminals are getting off with a token slap on the wrist. Lynn, Telford
‘Nothing happens’ to tram fare dodgers, says reader
I have complained to Greater Manchester transport authorities about fare dodgers on the tram system being let off. Ticket inspectors do absolutely nothing when they find someone without a ticket – they simply ask them to get off at the next stop. There are regular announcements and posters put up about what might happen to fare dodgers but in actual fact nothing happens. I find it very frustrating. Mike, Oldham
Resident joker returns…
I looked up conjunctivitis on the web. It was a site for sore eyes. Jeff, Nuneaton
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