In the vital last 12 days before June 8th we’re asking as many of you as possible to write to your local papers letter page this weekend or this week at the latest.
Most local and national papers will only publish letters of 250-300 words so here are a couple of suggested letters to send/edit. For the most marginal seats we’re also publishing a list of contacts for local papers but for anyone else please also write and you should be able to google your town name and local paper to find details. Mark anything you send Letters to Editor
Template Letter 1 specifically about some disability issues
The legacy of the Conservatives is shocking and we are now shamefully the first country in the world to have been found guilty by the UN for the grave and systematic violation of disabled people’s human rights following a lengthy inquiry.
It would be impossible in a letter to outline all of the vicious attacks against disabled and older people made by the Conservatives since 2010 but a few of the main cuts include £4.6 billion of cuts from social care funding, 700 disabled people a week losing their entitlement to Personal Independence Payments and access to adapted vehicles, loss of a third of their income for many disabled people from their ESA disability benefits in spite f the additional costs of being disabled. Many disabled people have also lost £14 – £28 from support for their housing costs due to the Bedroom Tax yet are unable to downsize or have homes which have been adapted to meet their needs which makes moving impossible.
Britain’s benefits, including pensions, are already among the least generous in Western Europe. Women born in 1950s have had up to 6 years retirement income stolen from them and now the triple lock on pensions, winter fuel allowances is being threatened by the Conservatives.
Due to cuts to Disability benefits 2.8 million disabled people are existing in deep poverty – that is they have 50% below the median income.
And even though we’re not yet a third world country shockingly nearly 400 citizens died from malnutrition or hunger in 2015 up 27% since 2010.
Words 258
Template Letter 2 – general about cuts to public services
Public services which we all use at some time in our lives since the Conservatives came to power have been slashed to the bone. On June 8th vote to protect them against another 5 years of Conservative cuts.
Since 2010 Social Care has been cut by £4.6 billion and 440,000 disabled people are no longer entitled to state funded care.
Hospital trusts are on course for a financial deficit of up to £850m at the end of this financial year. A Tory MP Dr Wollaston said “Local clinical commission groups are being forced to hold back £800m to prevent an even bigger black hole at hospitals. Again, this is patient care that is being cut back.”
Mental Health Services have all but disappeared and there has been a £41.3 million reduction in spending to 2015. Devastating cuts mean there are days no crisis beds are available anywhere in the UK..
Our Police service has lost 22,000 police officers and 15,000 support staff. Both security experts plus the Police Federation warned there were not enough police to keep our streets safe. Due to the lack of police we now have armed soldiers patrolling our streets for the first time ever since 1926.
Cuts to our Ambulance and Fire Services have resulted in have resulted in fewer Paramedics and fire fighters, and fire station closures. Response times for both of these life-saving services have lengthened due to this.
Now the Conservatives are coming after Education funding and funding per pupil is reducing in real terms meaning mainstream schools in England must find efficiency savings rising from £1.1 billion in 2016–17 to £3 billion by 2019–20.
These are only a few of the cuts the Conservatives are responsible for all of which affect our safety and our futures.
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Contact
Bedford editorial@timesandcitizen.co.uk
Berwick https://www.berwick-advertiser.co.uk/contact-us
Bolton https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/contactus/
Brecon https://www.brecon-radnor.co.uk/contact.cfm
Colchester https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/contactus/
Northants https://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/contact-us
Crewe https://www.creweguardian.co.uk/contactus/
Derby https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/contact.html
Dewsbury https://www.dewsburyreporter.co.uk/contact-us
Eastbourne https://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/contact-us
Eastleigh https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/contact/
Wales Online https://www.walesonline.co.uk/all-about/letters-to-the-editor
Halesowen and Rowley Regis https://www.expressandstar.com/contact-us/
Halifax https://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/contact-us
Manchester https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/contact-us/
Ilford https://www.ilfordrecorder.co.uk/contact-us
Ipswich https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/contact
Lancaster https://www.lancasterguardian.co.uk/contact-us
Morley https://www.morleyobserver.co.uk/contact-us
Bolton https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/contactus
North Devon https://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/contact-us
Northampton https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/contact-us
Peterborough https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/contact-us
Plymouth https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/contact.html
Portsmouth https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/contact-us
Kentonline https://www.kentonline.co.uk/contact-us/contact-editorial/
Cornish Times https://www.cornish-times.co.uk/
Darlington, Durham,Middlesbrough,North Yorkshire,Bishop Auckland,Northallerton. https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/contactus/who/
Sutton https://www.suttonguardian.co.uk/contactus/
Somerset https://www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/contactus/our_details/
Shropshire https://www.shropshirestar.com/contact-us/
South Gloucs https://www.gazetteseries.co.uk/
Thurrock https://www.thurrockgazette.co.uk/contactus/
Devon https://www.devonlive.com/contact.html
Denbighshire https://www.denbighshirefreepress.co.uk/about/contact.aspx
Warrington https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/contactus/
Fakenham https://www.fakenhamtimes.co.uk/contact-us
Wolverhampton https://www.expressandstar.com/contact-us/
Somerset Live https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/contact-us/
Bath https://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/contact-us
North Devon https://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/contact-us
Northampton https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/contact-us
Peterborough https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/contact-us
Plymouth https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/contact.html
Portsmouth https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/contact-us
Kent https://www.kentonline.co.uk/contact-us/contact-editorial/
Cornish Times https://www.cornish-times.co.uk/
West London https://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/contact-us/
Bristol Post https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/contact-us/
Tivey Side https://www.tivysideadvertiser.co.uk/contactus/
Leek https://www.leek-news.co.uk/contact.html
Cheltenham https://www.cheltenhamstandard.co.uk/contact/
Chingford https://www.chingfordtimes.co.uk/
Barnet https://www.barnet-today.co.uk/contact.cfm
Chester https://www.chesterstandard.co.uk/about/contact.aspx
Ealing https://www.ealingtimes.co.uk/contact_us/
Enfield https://www.enfield-today.co.uk/
Hendon, Finchley, Barnet, Potters Bar, Edgware and Mill Hill https://www.times-series.co.uk/
Harrow https://www.harrowtimes.co.uk/contactus/
Tottenham https://www.thetottenhamindependent.co.uk/contactus/getintouch/
Sussex https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/contact-us
Surrey https://www.surreycomet.co.uk/contactus/
Yorkshire https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/contact-us
Brighton https://www.theargus.co.uk/contactus/
Norwich https://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/home/contact-us
Oxfordshire https://www.heraldseries.co.uk/contactus/
Plymouth https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/contact.html
Richmond and Twickenham https://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/contactus/
Wirral https://www.wirralglobe.co.uk/contactus/
Buckinghamshire https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/contact/
Thanks DPAC! I sent your first letter template to Letters to the Editor at Wales Online and it will be published tomorrow in The Western Mail: which is national to Wales.
This template letter idea is brilliant! I have been wanting to send letters to newspapers but my brain feels like it is full of custard which makes compiling something good extremely slow and exhausting. Thanks again.
Cambridge?