Letters: Every homeless person wants a better life

Readers respond to a new trial handing people experiencing homelessness £2,000 to spend on whatever they want.

Responses to: Homeless people given £2,000 no strings attached.

Love the fact of the trial, but giving someone £2k once will not give them the stability to plan or make truly long-term decisions. I’d like to know what would happen if they got a guaranteed £2,000 every other month. That would still be less than minimum wage but may provide an opportunity to plan.

Robert Golder, Facebook

Giving people a lot of money for nothing is not the answer.

JonjoBamjo, X

Wow it’s so true, when you’re in desperate need, you think all the time how you can practically get out of the situation you’re in and, if you ever get any money again, how it could help you get out of the poverty cycle. So if you do get cash you are ready. You have plans!

Being homeless gives you a lot of time alone to think and try and come up with ways to help yourself. Usually though, you’re just living to survive day to day. The scheme is a great idea. I hope they bring it out all over. 

The mistake is that people think that when you’re homeless, you don’t want to get out of that situation and help yourself, but it’s just not true. You are desperately trying to help yourself, but you can’t turn nothing into something.

Louisa Byrne, Facebook

I’m really not surprised by these results. I’ve worked with homeless individuals and every one of them wanted a better life.

Polana Indigo, Facebook

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Narrow it down

Love Big Issue and Lou, I think, who sold me the mag at St Paul’s station is a nice guy.

Here’s a picture that I took last week from my narrow boat on the River Lea where I have recently moved. I thought hard over the last year about moving to somewhere affordable. It’s something I’d recommend to give someone a steady and affordable living space.

What’s more, isn’t the setting incredible? For me, the pylon tells me I’m rather small in comparison, but not to be afraid of larger things. Just to reach out for its help if I need a piece of its energy.

Peter, Tottenham 

Political vision

I have decided to rename our political parties as TV shows.

Reform become The Traitors; Conservatives become Total Wipeout; Lib Dems become The Chase; Labour become Call My Bluff; Green Party become The Weakest Link.

Together, they’re all Pointless. 

Bridget Bartlett

Stick, shift

While Shaun Spiers’ conclusion that “the shift away from fossil fuels is now unstoppable” is fundamentally true, it is important to remind ourselves that global demand for both oil and natural gas is unfortunately still rising, and authoritative projections suggest that demand won’t peak until the 2030s for oil and even later for gas.

Patrick Rutty, Edinburgh

Aid memoir

40 years ago, I attended the Live Aid concert at Wembley Stadium. I was 17 years old living in Miami, Florida at the time. When I started seeing images on TV of the horrific famine that was going on in Ethiopia, I felt the urge to help. 

I travelled to England without a ticket to the concert but with my mind made up that I was going to be there in the very front row witnessing a historic moment. All my dreams came true, but the most meaningful one became a reality 40 years later when I had the chance to personally thank Sir Bob Geldof and Mr Midge Ure for organising an event that would forever change my outlook on life. 

Having been born in Mexico, moving to the US at the age of nine was the first big step in eventually becoming a US citizen. Something I was always proud off until now. Seeing how this new Trump era is shaping the world has me very disappointed. The example and message that Sir Bob Geldof’s actions ignited back in 1985 are the pillars we should be embracing now. 

Having an EU passport has me looking to move abroad again. I’m determined to volunteer my time in helping make this world better.

Bernando Junco

Responses to: Editor’s Letter

The U-turns are the better aspect of Starmer’s Labour. Let’s face it, some of the things that have been proposed by this government are so clearly setting out in the wrong direction that a U-turn is a relief.

Berna Parnell, Facebook

The digital ID is one U-turn I’m not moaning about. Just wish I could do a U-turn and unvote him.

Kristian X Guitars, Facebook

It’s not so much the U-turns as the horrible, horrible policy ideas they repeatedly row back from. Think of all the time and anxiety that could have been saved!

Fergus Murray, Facebook

I think it’s refreshing to admit they got something wrong. They are here to serve us, not needlessly go forth with anything no matter how angry the electorate are.

Welzby, Instagram

U-turns show he listens when we don’t like the policies. It’s adult and progressive. We should be cheering.

Picadorproof, Instagram

Thank goodness he’s making U-turns on the most terrible proposals – some hope he’s finally reading the room.

Alberts9465, Instagram

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. 

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