Dear Editor,

I recently walked down Seaward Way in Minehead and was horrified to see that the grassy area between the new eco-flats and the road is fast becoming a rubbish tip.

Not just domestic rubbish but old pallets have been thrown there as well. I find it rather sad that the people who are benefiting from living in homes designed to be good for the environment, appear to care so little for their own.

Yours etcetera,

Keith Garner, address supplied

Dear Editor,

It is a nation's moral duty to look after its elderly generation. The minuscule state pension that they receive, proves that the state ignores this obligation. The unjust local council tax, which has been converted into a more or less, flat rate levy, increases the injustice to the pensioners.

Four decades ago in 1980, a large section of our community, Britain's 12-million pensioners, had their contributory State Pension reduced when the State Pension link with male average earnings was broken. This has never been given back.

Elderly people cannot strike to get higher state pensions, even though they all receive the lowest State Pension compared to EU levels. Pensioners have nobody to stand up for their rights, or make certain that they get media representation, which is why we are speaking up on their behalf.

Please go to this link to Give State Pension to all at 60 and increase it to equal 48hrs of Living Wage: petition.parliament.uk/pet.../755283/sponsors/new

Please go to this link to sign and share our petition for the exemption of pensioners to pay council tax: petition.parliament.uk/petitions/736599

The Pensions Credit means test only ensures that those on the lowest incomes receive full relief, yet pensioners on modest but above the threshold even by one penny, still have to pay this tax. This is an evil mean spirited poverty trap.

Yours sincerely,

Angela Templeton, Karen Burns, Ian Templeton, Denver Johnson, and Michael Thompson (Willand)

Link-Age-UK Wide

Dear Editor,

Ms Anna Maxwell Martin's comments on poverty, and plea for donations strikes a sad note at this season. Four-and-a-half-million is a tip of the iceberg. One in five households are in poverty, even though many are in work.

A. I. {artificial intelligence } is upon us, and has been described as a job destroyer, adding to the agony. The cure is U. B. I. {universal basic income }.

Those of us of a certain age receive a basic income, it is called the Old Age Pension. This is easy to administer, relatively cheap to run, and if given to everyone with a National Health number will banish abject poverty. The benefits for all will be a thriving economy, our moribund high streets will get a new lease of life. The young, on whom the rest of us depend on, will be much fitter, and better able to take advantage of education.

The 'knock on costs' in trials world wide, has demonstrated that UBI pays for itself.

Yours sincerely,

Charles Birch,

Watchet

Dear Editor,

I wish to comment on the article in the WSFP regarding Councillor Mick Dunk. It was very biased and no mention was made as to why Cllr Dunk felt the need to participate in the Just Stop Oil protest. He is obviously a good man who cares about the environment and does not deserve a sentence of over two years.

Bridgwater’s Conservative MP Ashley Fox says he does not support unlawful activities that cause chaos on our roads so I wonder what his views are on the many farmers who recently descended on London with their tractors?

Yours,

Valerie Stuart

Minehead

Dear Editor,

There was one local political occurrence in 2025 which could either be seen as an amusing coincidence or food for thought. Reform UK came second in the October county council by-election in Dunster Division and received 666 votes - described in the Book of Revelations 13:18 as “The number of the beast”. You could say it was the devil of an outcome!

Many people support Nigel Farage and his Party because they are fed up with Labour and the Conservatives but you do have to wonder how far they have delved into what is on offer.

One of President Trump’s stated aims is to form alliances with European right-wing Parties and boost their chances of success. This could be interpreted as installing puppet governments. Nigel Farage, a U.K. MP, spent a lot of time in America campaigning for MAGA…and Trump gave him a Patriot Award. I’m not clear to which country that applied. Farage is also on record as saying he “admired Putin as a political operator because he’s managed to take control of running Russia.” The fact that Putin’s opponents seem afflicted with a casual approach to leaning out of windows probably helps. The former Leader of Reform U.K. in Wales has just received a jail sentence of 10 years for taking bribes to make pro-Russia speeches while a member of the European Parliament and persuading others to do the same.

Farage elbowed Richard Tice aside to head up what was Reform UK Ltd before it became a political party. He admires dictators. He has been accused of making antisemitic and racist remarks by 25 Dulwich College contemporaries and one ex teacher. Does all this look like an ideal CV for a Prime Minister of our country...or bode well for democracy? Something to think about in 2026!

Yours sincerely,

Sandra Jones

Old Cleeve