Put peace and prosperity before war

PUTIN should never have ordered the invasion of the Ukraine, a tragic and foolish decision, a disaster for the Ukrainians, Russians and all of us.

But history did not start with Putin’s invasion of the Ukraine, it started decades ago with the EU campaign to interfere in the internal affairs of the Ukraine, to win it to EU membership, orchestrated by the EU and the UK.

Every year I send a letter to this newspaper arguing for support for world peace against the loud and now shrill voices of warmongers.

In my last letter I argued that the UK’s interference in the Ukraine could set us all on the path to a nuclear war with Russia, and the only way to prevent the coming nuclear war is to vote for candidates who are anti-war.

Since then a year has passed and the road the self serving politicians have shepherded us along is now getting nearer to our destination, the nuclear war slaughterhouse.

Former Prime minister Liz Truss made a speech about sending £2.3 billion in arms to the Ukrainian military in 2023 to match the same amount given in 2022.

The Ukraine is being turned into a charnel house, like the war of attrition in the First World War, young men on both sides are being frog marched into a giant meat grinder.

Families in the UK are now having to choose between heating or eating. That £2.3 billion could have helped families and pensioners in the UK to be warm and fed this Christmas. Now the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is bringing in austerity policies and higher taxation to pay for the war.

Dylan Robertson,

St Swithins Road,

Bridport

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Memories from the telephone exchange

SEEING the photo of telephonists in The Press (Wednesday November 10) brought back memories of when Jean, one of my older sisters, was a telephone operator in the 1950s.

There were three girls who worked in the small exchange behind the post office at Fence Houses near Houghton-le-Spring Co Durham.

As a teenager I went to watch my sister. On the board a flap would open, my sister would put in the wire then say "Number please", she would repeat the number given, write it on a form, ring the number, and when, if answered, she would say, "you are through" and when conversation finished wires were pulled out of board.

There were not many people with telephones in the area - my Uncle George did have and his number was Fence Houses 48.

Maureen Robinson,

Broadway,

York

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Church of England at risk

CHRISTIANITY in this country is in decline - less than 50 per cent of the population claiming it to be their faith.

This comes as no surprise because the Church of England is an organisation lead by those with immense theological knowledge, but lack completely both the talent and initiative required to pursue a successful nationwide campaign to redress this continuing fall in membership.

Sadly, they operate as if we are still in the mid 1800s.

Such is the frailty of the Church of England's future, come the end of the 21st century, occupants of both Lambeth and Bishopthorpe palaces may well be guests of hoteliers.

Peter Rickaby

West Park

Selby

North Yorkshire