Letters | 21 January 2016

Bureaucratic tyranny

Sir: As James Forsyth points out (‘Scary Monsters’, 16 January), David Cameron and other ‘In’ campaign supporters wish voters to base their decision on the short term, as this enables them to highlight the uncertainty and fear factor. But this vote is about the long term, and in 20 years’ time one thing is certain: the ‘ever-closer union’, and all that it means, will exist. What I don’t understand, and what I hope every interviewer will force him to explain, is why David Cameron believes it will be better for Britain to be increasingly ruled by the bureaucratic tyranny that is the EU.
Robin Grist

Corton, Wiltshire

Doctors of madness

Sir: As a right-leaning junior doctor, I agree that the NHS needs reform (Leading article, 16 January). Most GP practices are in fact private businesses and there is no reason why hospitals could not also be independent ‘for profit’ or ‘not for profit’ organisations with government contracts.

But I strongly believe the strikes are necessary. Official statistics are often fudged. From a local survey, it was clear that most junior doctors work at least 10 per cent more hours than we are contracted to each week, which is not officially recorded. Most of us work more hours than is allowed by the European Working Time Directive. Then most of us go home to spend our ‘free time’ studying for postgraduate exams, preparing lessons for medical students and working on research projects. To suggest we should work even more antisocial hours for less pay than now is madness, and if this version of the new contract is enforced, it will lead to a brain drain from the NHS.
Dr Jake Matthews

Birmingham