A UK Border Force vessel on patrol at Weymouth, Dorset. Image: Benjamin Elliott on Unsplash
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Immigration attitudes are inhumane
I’m all for sorting immigration, but people’s evilness is beyond me. We all have a story, we all struggle, we all have sadnesses, we all crave home, peace and stability.
Why are we so evil to the few, instead of looking at our own failures? Electing leaders that actually make a system work and leaders that make us better, kinder people. What is wrong with the world? People are escaping wars and pain and suffering. Can we not be more humane, please?!
@jadlbfi, Instagram
Simple economics
I am a regular purchaser of Big Issue. I don’t think that you would include this letter because it comes from the other side of the argument. My sister is a landlady and is trying to make a business out of providing good quality accommodation to renters. I would not wish her business on anyone.
She has to tackle council ineptitude, increased building costs, the experience of renter destruction of her property and the inane targeting of renters by the government trying to score political points with new legislation.
The Renters’ Rights Act is a great idea in theory, but in practice it will be the final nail in the coffin that drives private landlords away. Rents will increase, and fewer properties will be available. It is simple economics, not in anyone’s interests.
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Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty
Keir Starmer talks about unfair treatment of tenants, but how about the unfair treatment of landlords by tenants, who destroyed my sister’s rental property or refuse to pay her rent, knowing that evicting them will be harder?
I know the left doesn’t seem to appreciate basic economics, but the supply of rental property will dry up, and rents will go up in the long term.
Subahu Shah
From the heart
I loved the interview with Sir Magdi Yacoub. I met him 50 years ago when, as a third-year medical student, I was seconded to Harefield Hospital to learn about heart surgery. Mr Yacoub could not have been more helpful. He was genuinely interested and took time out to show me a pig heart valve and how it all worked. He was such a decent and unassuming man. I have never forgotten that encounter. I never went on to become a heart surgeon, but was a GP for nearly 45 years, and always took time to explain things to patients. Thank you Sir Magdi Yacoub.
Dr Andrew Leach, Scottish Borders
Two-child benefit cap axed
Like most, I have no issue with the reduction of child poverty. I also have no issue with support where working families have a change in circumstances which may result in them needing support, eg disability, accident, temporary change in circumstances (redundancy, illness).
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What I do have an issue with is selfish people who have more than two children when they can’t afford them. I could understand it in the 1960s, through culture and lack of available education, but today this is not an excuse. I’m afraid to say significant numbers will abuse this, and history shows that for a large number of the parents who rely on benefits, their children do the same.
That’s why I, as a taxpayer for 40 years from a family that lived in two-up, two-down rented accommodation in South London, don’t agree with this unconditional change. A significant proportion will abuse it.
Steven Rogers
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Inspired by the recent dogs cover, here are Jessica’s Christmassy doggos Ollie the golden retriever and Paisley the cockapoo. @jessica_lloyd4, Instagram
Ask Reeves
A billion is a drop in the ocean compared to – I don’t know – taxing the super rich and tax avoidance. Unclaimed benefits were £23 billion in 2024!
It’s just demonising benefit claimants even further in an already tough system and punishing the vulnerable. Systems are already getting harder with sanctions that treat them like criminals.Incorrectly stopping benefits because someone is wrongly suspected of fraud has led to deaths. There are likely punitive and draconian measures, especially when the DWP can access bank accounts. I’m sure they will go hard because the media and the right-wing parties seem to think Labour have gone soft on benefits, even though they’ve just helped thousands of kids out of poverty.
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@catherineedgson, Instagram
Punked out
Punk was originally a rebellion. The Clash went left wing; the likes of Crass hard left. But for us kids it was never about politics – we just had a hell of a time. Buzzcocks was all about teenage angst. It was the London elite who made it political. But from ’77 to ’79 in the north, it was just about going nuts at a concert.
Stuart Goodman, Facebook
Pod given right
Germany offers their homeless pods. Why can’t our government address homelessness? The distribution of wealth is so unequal. It’s shameful our own people are dying on the streets. This government have failed them and should be shamed into giving them a helping hand.
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Change a vendor’s life this Christmas.
Buy from your local Big Issue vendor every week – or support online with a vendor support kit or a subscription – and help people work their way out of poverty with dignity.
Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty
