Your letters: Migrant returns, council tax and a Walsall school memory

PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: Walsall FC manager Ray Graydon cuts the red ribbon during the official opening of new classrooms at North Walsall Junior, Infant and Nursery School on May 11, 2001. He is pictured with schoolboys Paul Leonard, Robert Leonard and Daniel Jones, as pupils and staff gathered outside to mark the opening of the new facilities. Graydon was manager of Walsall FC from 2001 to 2004, following an earlier spell in charge during the 1990s. Do you remember Ray Graydon's visit to North Walsall JMI? Were you or your children at the school when the new classrooms opened? | Express & Star archive

placeholder image — PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: Walsall FC manager Ray Graydon cuts the red ribbon during the official opening of new classrooms at North Walsall Junior, Infant and Nursery School on May 11, 2001. He is pictured with schoolboys Paul Leonard, Robert Leonard and Daniel Jones, as pupils and staff gathered outside to mark the opening of the new facilities. Graydon was manager of Walsall FC from 2001 to 2004, following an earlier spell in charge during the 1990s. Do you remember Ray Graydon's visit to North Walsall JMI? Were you or your children at the school when the new classrooms opened? | Express & Star archive

Readers share their views on the cost of migrant returns, proposed council tax changes and the debate over egg production and animal welfare

Migrant swap a costly gimmick

Shabana Mahmood has revealed without batting an eye lid that under the ridiculous one in one out policy, deporting Channel migrants to France has cost the taxpayer £56,000 per person returned.

So in order to return a really bad egg back to France in exchange for one that's not quite off, taxpayers fork out 56k (I've no idea whether that is for the pair or each). This woman, who we are told is really tough on getting down illegal numbers, trotted it out like it was a bit of petty cash.

Next we had the glorious revolt in Piddington. Instead of concentrating on interviewing the vast majority, sick and tired about what is being done to this country, Aunty Beeb managed to locate a devastated young woman who between gulps tells us that she had lived in the village but was not aware that there were so many cruel racists amongst the population. She was absolutely heart broken. The usual balance toward pathetic left-wing ideology we expect from Aunty.

Alan M Etheridge, Sedgley

Fumbling over new council tax

Quick! Come over here, sit down, and take the weight off your wallet!

I say this because this is how the Labour government sees most council tax payers, as Ministers fumble around deciding about a special council tax rate for properties above a certain value. Good old Labour always chasing those that have bettered themselves or have lived in a property for a long time and seen the property price soar. How will they value them? Hopefully not using AI!

If such a tax goes ahead then those that have to pay it should be exempt once they have lived there for five or more years, as they will have put much more into the local economy than they have ever taken out. If all else fails Uncle Norbert and I still have a few Ken Dodd Memorial Suitcases left for storing cash. Bombproof, earthquake-proof and Labour Chancellor proof.

Peter Steggles, Rushbury

Bring back the battery hens?

Salmonella has been found in imported eggs, reports the Star, and I am afraid this is down to the "do-gooders" – animal and bird welfare campaigners – who succeeded in banning the keeping of hens in small cages (batteries). When they were no longer allowed, battery farming was exported to Eastern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, and because our egg production was reduced, we imported their eggs – result: salmonella!

Environmentalists now complain that the run-off from free-range chickens, that they campaigned for as less cruel than cages, now pollutes the rivers, so farmers cannot win, it seems.

The more they try to appease the strident animal welfare people, the worse the outcome for the environment and consumers of eggs.

Do we forget about welfare and bring back the hen batteries that were kept in wild bird, vermin, and fly-proof sheds so ensuring eggs were salmonella-free, or go vegan and starve to death?

W F Kerswell, Picklescott

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