Letters to the Editor – 01/11 – Regional growth, National security, Best of Twitter
Regional growth
[Re: Why the rest of the UK is failing to keep up with London’s explosive growth, Wednesday]
Paul Ormerod is spot on – rigid pay structures outside of London have surely played a role in decreasing competitiveness in the rest of the country. National wage rates in the public sector don’t help. There’s been reports that there is a £3,200 public sector premium in the North East, Merseyside and South West. But the national minimum wage also keeps regional firms from expanding further. We should regionalise pay and benefits to bring down labour costs, and help spur growth outside the capital.
Wayne Jarrett
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National security
[Re: Debate over Big Brother snooping is being stifled as our freedom suffers, yesterday]
The “threat to national security” defence is rightly highlighted as a fig-leaf for muzzling the press. This tactic has a long history, and judges have frequently ruled against the government when such cases have gone to court. Newspapers were stopped from revealing the contents of Spycatcher, the 1986 memoirs of a former MI5 officer, but judges in both the UK and Australia overturned the injunctions, describing them as a complete misuse of law. Dominic Raab is entirely right to encourage Parliamentary scrutiny for similar claims today.
Name Withheld
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BEST OF TWITTER
After euro inflation of 0.7 per cent, option markets for March now trading possibility of negative ECB rates.
@notayesmansecon
US criticises German, Chinese policy. Thinking back to financial crisis, glass houses and stones come to mind.
@asentance
Of 349 companies in the S&P 500 that have reported third quarter earnings, 75 per cent beat expectations.
@Lavorgnanomics
Shutting our borders and closing down Britain will not help our young people.
@Lottiedexter