Political divisions, slavery and Brexit – readers' letters, plus M5 car drama in 1997

Expect parties to divide up

The result in the Dudley Council election on the last Thursday in October looked like a Labour gain against Reform, close inspection shows a different story. While Labour had a two vote majority versus the Farage party - 874 to 872 - Farage is now blaming Restore, which had 159 votes, showing that the extremist parties split their vote. If the Restore voters had voted for Reform, they would have won.

Meanwhile thousands of members are leaving the Green Party nationally after the national conference adopted an anti Jewish policy - despite the leader, Zack Polanski, belong Jewish.

Extremists are taking over the newer parties, and currently it is only when they split that they are defeated. Expect more divisions as time goes on.

Trevor Fisher, Stafford

Give apology to chain makers

If there are going to be reparations and apologies from the powers that be, shouldn’t they start a little closer to home? Who actually benefitted from the horrors of slavery? My family and my ancestors and people like me certainly didn’t.

I probably emerged from what was known as peasant stock. The land grab known as the Enclosure made us more or less trespassers in our own country. Being from the Black Country we were later engaged in nail making and chain making. Working hours were arduous to say the least and the pay allowed for subsistence and nothing else. It was a hand to mouth existence. Accommodation was, shall we say ‘basic’ and proper medical care was beyond the pockets of most people. Child mortality was the norm and fathers - heads of family- were often forced, more often than not against their will, to leave their loved ones and to suffer and die in some war that they probably didn’t understand but were led to believe was their duty.

Slavery? These people had nothing to do with it, benefitted from it not a jot and were not far from the state of slavery themselves. Where are their reparations, where are the apologies to them?

Alan Jones, Halesowen

Snake of Month

And the Political Snake of the Month Award goes to Rachel Reeves!

What is it with politicians? As soon as they lose power, they start saying what they really mean. The ex-Chancellor now declares the UK's best future lies within the EU, hence rejoining as soon as possible. As one EU minister was honest enough to say, they would welcome us back as, "We need the money!"

By all means, have a look at current trade deals, but keep away from political deals. It was called Brexit and we meant it. And as for getting saddled with the EU's freedom of movement, with all those porous EU borders, no thanks. The UK's borders are porous enough as it is.

Peter Steggles, Rushbury

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