Royal Mail heroes, NHS vs the private sector and childhood obesity | News News

In today’s MetroTalk, readers are talking Royal Mail’s price increases.

A reader argues that £1.35 for a stamp is a steal for the satisfaction of sending a heartfelt letter, to be received in little as 24 hours, and as the cost of living crisis set to continue on: what else could match that joy for the same price?

Meanwhile, Britain’s childhood obesity crisis, a marathon waiting time just to speak to a GP receptionist and cancer-causing PFAs lurking in our supermarket produce. It begs the question: what healthier choices do we really have?

Share what you think about these topics and more in the comments.

That is… If you’re lucky enough to see one

It is great that Royal Mail are thinking of second-class post being delivered three times a week. Around here, we are lucky to see a post person once a week, let alone a delivery. Clive, Lancing

Will Labour’s strategy to clear NHS backlog work?

Is Labour’s deal to use the private sector to clear the NHS backlog going to be like the deals with the private sector to build schools we saw in the Blair era that we’re still paying for now? Mike, Tyneside

Our GP surgery no longer offers advance appointments. Your choice is to ring at 8am on the day or go and queue up at 8am.

I tried for four days to ring, even getting through at 8.01am. I was 39th in the queue for 20 available appointments so queued on day five from 7.10am to be told there were only phone appointments with the GP left.

When I actually got a call, the GP said I needed to be physically seen and so a call was not appropriate. Arghhhhh! People are being told to ring 111 but they are already so overloaded. Mrs H, Yorks

Is it a teacher’s job to tackle childhood obesity?

I am bewildered at claims regarding the surge in childhood obesity. Doctors are stating many families can’t prepare food or have access to gyms.

Very few kids go to gyms but how about parents taking them out for walks to parks or using local free facilities often provided by schools?

Having worked in primary schools for 20-plus years, I have seen first hand how non-working parents would not engage with free cooking clubs, free swimming, free exercise groups etc.Cheap, nutritional food is available but some parents opt for easy takeaways.

While there are clearly health issues in a minority of cases, sadly, there is an overwhelming issue of ‘can’t be bothered’.

If you don’t want to parent your offspring, please don’t expect someone else to. AH, Leeds

The issue with First Past The Post

P Davies from Ealing (MetroTalk, Mon) claims that first past the post is the best electoral system because proportional representation is ‘weak, indifferent and hampered’.

We have FPTP, while Germany has PR. Comparing Britain and Germany from World War II to today, which country’s government appears more ‘weak, indifferent and hampered’? Ryan Cooper, London

Gary from Birmingham (MetroTalk, Tue) says the people had a chance to introduce proportional representation but rejected it in the 2011 referendum.

Rob from Norfolk (MetroTalk, Tue) claims that JK Rowling – along with 
‘other transphobes’ – is spreading bigotry about the trans community with her
‘toxic and nonsensical claim that trans people somehow pose a threat to 
women’s welfare’.

The Harry Potter author says Scotland’s new hate crime laws could be seen as making it illegal to deny that trans women are women.

Rob says efforts to enforce ‘single-sex spaces’ for women don’t work because they end up excluding people who they think ‘look like “men” regardless of chromosomes or genitalia’.

I worked with someone who transitioned many moons ago. Everyone respected their right to do so. Yes, it may have seemed to us ‘young uns’ a bit weird, but they were the same person with a different name and quickly their previous identity was forgotten. This is how it should be and most do accept that.

The difference now is the politics of it and the extremist slant some take – thatyou must use this particular pronoun and that trans women can compete against biological women in sport.

It’s totally unfair and discriminatory but that’s OK, is it?

That’s what most people are against.
Are you? Jim, London

Forever chemicals

I was interested to read your front-page story about the ‘forever toxins’ in fruit and veg (Metro, Tue). These PFAs – some used in pesticides – accumulate in the body and are linked to illnesses such as cancer, say campaigners. As a boy, I remember my father being asked by a neighbour what he put on his rhubarb. As an organic grower, he replied ‘manure’, to which the neighbour replied, ‘That’s funny, I use custard.’ Paul Billson, Letchworth Garden City

Owen (MetroTalk, Mon) says smokers only harm themselves, as opposed to drunks who ‘commit assaults, do criminal damage and cause road accidents’. Has he not heard of passive smoking? Have none of his clothes ended up reeking of cigarette smoke after being near smokers? Being near a drunkard will not harm your liver. Paul Tennant, Glasgow

Monetise The Houses of Parliament and make MPs remote workers

Terry (MetroTalk, Mon) asks how many Lords attend their debates in the house. I have not seen more than a handful at those televised. The Houses of Parliament could become a tourist attraction while MPs work online, as millions had to in lockdown. The revenue from visitors would pay for the renovation of the place and MPs would be able to participate in more debates. Kamal, London