LETTERS today (August 21) highlighted the depth of injustice felt by current pensioners commenting on the proposal by Iain Duncan Smith to raise the age of retirement to 75. This is not an isolated attack on Britain’s pensioners. There are two other Conservative think tanks, both of which have proposals that are designed to have a negative impact on those of pensionable age Baron Willetts’ Resolution Foundation and Lord True’s Committee on Intergenerational Fairness.
I urge your retired readers to read both, since the first one proposed abolishing the Triple Lock, increasing tax on pensions and abolishing the free TV Licence (the latter having already happened), and Lord True’s Committee reaches similar conclusions.
Francis Deigman, Erskine.
Back Hong Kong protests
I AM horrified by Tina Giam's letter (12 August) which contained critical errors about the locus and nature of the ongoing protests in Hong Kong.
Two million citizens of Hong Kong joined a peaceful street protest in June to make their demands – a quarter of the territory's population. Protest leaders issued a list of key demands including the formal retraction of the extradition bill, an independent inquiry into police brutality, and meaningful reforms towards universal suffrage. The governments of China and Hong Kong have not responded to any of these demands, but have instead been escalating confrontation with disproportionate force that has caused permanent injuries to protesters and bystanders alike. Despite the violent conflict, a poll by two universities in late July showed that the overwhelming majority of respondents supported the protests. Ms Giam's characterisation of the protesters as "rioting" "anarchists" who "do not represent the population" cannot be further from the truth.
Far from distancing ourselves from the protests, Britain and Europe have a duty to stand with the people of Hong Kong in their fight for the universal values of justice, freedom, and democracy.
Deryck Chan, Cambridge.
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