'We've got to get it right, the alternative is too scary!' - Your Letters: April 21

Firstly, a misquote from Shakespeare: Now comes our summer of discontent, made worse by public health and hygiene problems.

Well now back to being serious, Birmingham residents are suffering a 'dirty' problem in that for several weeks the refuse collection service has hardly operated. Rubbish piles up in the streets, rats are running around with little chance or danger of being caught. It's alleged in the media that some employees will lose several thousands of pounds in wages by Birmingham having to refuse to regrade their jobs to maintain wages at current levels.

They've had to do this because they're skint/broke/bankrupt (take your pick which word) and this all came about after the city council lost their case on equal wages with men and women. If they caved in, they say, and give more money they will then be involved in even more payouts under equality rules. The council is between a rock and a hard place here, give in and be even more in debt, fight it and get strike action. They've already had to increase council taxes by more than HM Government said, as you can guess Brummie residents don't like it.

Solution? I wish I knew, all I think about it is the Winter of Discontent back in the 1970s. Do we really want that, or need it? I wish I knew but I'm only an ordinary working class bloke, not as clever as politicians like Ms Reeves and her mates in Government, who seem intent on pushing our economy into a state of Stagflation (economy not growing but prices rising faster). When the present lot took over last July, our economy was growing at about two per cent, not brilliant but one of the better ones in the G7 group. Now it's less than half that. Foreign speculators shun investing here, why? Couldn't be they don't rate her or two Faced Starmer could it? Unless our economy gets some growth in it will we all wind up like Birmingham? Pray we don't. 

Coping with Trump's economic theory is bad enough, without making it worse for ourselves.

Please let sanity and good sense get into the negotiations, we've got to get it right, the alternative is too scary!

Michael Gough, Wombourne

WELL DONE TO GRAFFITI ARTISTS

Re a letter in the E&S (April 9) from John Rowley of Castlecroft – 'Stop the rot of graffiti menace'.

I agree some graffiti art can be a bit 1970s dystopian Bronx / NYC – but there are some superb and wonderful examples where this art does really work and is very aesthetic – especially when there is a nature theme.

The fantastic large wolf face image – probably not seen by many at Peel Street / side street / underpass, near the old outdoor market location.

This image did appear in the recent graffiti display at the Central Library and on the accompanying online display. Many of these works were excellent.

I do hope that wolf image can be reproduced one day (permanently) in a more high profile area of this city – by the main Wolverhampton Railway Station, by the Civic Centre, or by (or inside) the wonderful Art Gallery –  and perhaps most apt –  by the Wolves’ Molineux Stadium.

Well done to this team of artists.

Stephen King, Whitmore Reans

THANKS FOR HELP AFTER COLLISION

Please may I use your pages on behalf of my granddaughter and myself to express our gratitude to the members of the public and the emergency services who came to our help on Sunday morning April 13 following a collision on the A41 at the junction of the A41 and the B road at Sandford.

From Hannah, who immediately offered her assistance as a trained paramedic to us and the driver of the second vehicle involved, to her husband and son who with the two bikers who stopped provided the “umph” to get the car out of the dip in the road and safely to the side, you all have our heartfelt thanks.

Kudos too for the professionalism and efficiency of the emergency services: the fire brigade who I think were first on the scene (sorry guys can’t remember where you were based!); the ambulance crew from Shrewsbury and the police officers from Market Drayton. Thanks once more to you all.

John Fry and Lauren, Telford

KEIR CONRACT IS JUST NOT WORKING

I’m shocked to read that Shropshire Council officers have agreed another year’s highways maintenance contract with Kier.

Keir's seven years to date have been seven years of ongoing deterioration – despite boasts of '£60m of investment in Shropshire's roads’! Potholes are on every lip during this election campaign – countless Burnell residents complain to me of expensive burst tyres, damaged suspension, worse.

My local barber has to allow extra time to get to work. A local care home can't recruit ‘because of the potholes’. At parish councils local leaders refer to ‘lanes more pothole than road’ and ‘roads like a farm track’.

The multi-million Keir contract just isn’t working. Newly-elected councillors must look at new options - cheaper local contracts or bringing the service back ‘in house’. But now those councillors' hands will be tied. Agreeing this contract now feels a kick in the face for local democracy.

Chris Naylor, All Stretton

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