Theatre of dreams just a concept

What a superb CGI of how a new Swindon theatre might look (SA, October 8). But CGI are simply concepts and not reality.

The cost of a new theatre is said to be in the region of £50million and it is suggested (but not believed) that it will bring in £6million a year to the town centre. As ever, officers will do what they always do, underestimate the cost, and exaggerate the benefit.

I'm not sure why the proposal for 200 seat studio is being planned as there is already a number of facilities available in the town.

Council Officer Dan Rackham is talking nonsense in attempting to justify a £50million spend by suggesting a £300million payback over 50 years. He will be long gone well before then.

Finally, he states that a new theatre will take zero subsidy once it's up and running.

That one statement is so patently absurd, as to render anything he says quote unbelievable.

SBC still subsidise STEAM after many years of it being open

Des Morgan

Caraway Drive

Swindon

No need to be at war for rich to profiteer

Steve Halden has again shown the role of flag waving in cutting the living standards of working people. (SA, October 10)

Steve’s latest argument for accepting pay cuts and worsening social conditions is this; “Britain is currently involved in the war between Russia and Ukraine”.

For Steve then we don’t even have to be “at war” for it to be right for the rich to rob us blind.

Now as soon as the British state decides to pour weaponry into any conflict anywhere in the World then the working-class majority in the population must kiss goodbye to conditions won in previous struggles.

Laughably Steve says, “in normal circumstances it would be perfectly reasonable to defend ourselves from inflation.”

But the UK being at war is the normal circumstance; it has been since the end of the Second World War. Britain is almost always at war and always providing weapons for other people to be at war.

For Steve it must never be OK for us to defend ourselves from inflation and it must always be OK for the rich to profiteer from us.

Seriously though, a look at the cost of living crisis shows that profits of the biggest companies (FTSE 350) rose by 73 per cent over pre pandemic levels and company wide profits rose 11.74 per cent while wages were increasing 2.61 per cent or falling 0.8 per cent after tax.

These profit hikes are responsible for nearly 60 per cent of inflation, in contrast to 8.3 per cent due to labour costs.

Peter Smith

Woodside Avenue

Blame for woes rests squarely on Tories

Once again Bill Williams lays the blame for the country's woes on foreign aid and those he labels 'illegal immigrants' (SA, October 12).

Please explain Bill how foreign aid and so called 'illegal immigrants' has caused rising fuel prices, threats of power cuts, public sector workers going on strike, the crisis in pension funds etc.

The blame for the woes this country now faces lays with 12 years of Tory government and as you have voted for the Tories in recent general elections, aren't you equally culpable for the woes society society now faces?

Martin Webb

Old Town

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