Viewpoint: Why don't Pro-Palestine protesters go after the big money?

Missed opportunity to get works done quickly 

The Royal Borough declared a climate Emergency in 2020 and produced a climate strategy.

All good stuff but it seems to me that not all departments got the memo.

The work on the new roundabout being built on the A308 Windsor Road is only being carried out on weekdays.

There is no weekend working.

This is a missed opportunity, as seven day working would’ve considerably reduced the time taken on the project with corresponding reductions in pollution, fossil fuel wastage and time spent in traffic queues.

KEN ELVIN

Tithe Barn Drive

Bray

Players jump ship after Magpies’ relegation 

How dare players leave Maidenhead United.

They are the players that got us relegated.

Thankfully for regular supporters, no thanks to the players!

I regard this as ‘jumping ship’. They are a disgrace.

JON REEKIE

Oldacres

Maidenhead

Questions over pricey maintenance contract

If you think RBWM roads are good I suggest you don’t read this letter.

• Potholes are not being repaired quickly enough or properly despite paying contractor £450,000 a year to do them in 24 hours
• Unclassified roads, where most of us live, have been mostly ignored for years
• Lighting columns and sign posts are rusting away, thanks to a ‘no painting’ programme
• Where they have done stretches of new surfacing, areas are breaking up after a short time, due to poor preparation
• White and yellow lining is fading away
• Reflective keep-left bollards are never cleaned and the reflective surface is peeling off. Also many are leaning over badly
• Missing sign posts and lighting columns are rarely replaced.

I could go on and on. Why now?

Well, the new highways maintenance contract is in the process of renewal after a council error on the first attempt.

Volker Highways have been our highways maintenance contractor since 2017 for a contract that is probably one of the best kept secrets since WW2.

We have no contact with them and originally there were questions raised because they not only carry out the work but decide what needs to be done.

The contract is supposed to be a performance-based one but the performance levels are so weak they regularly achieved 100 per cent.

Their Companies House details state the following under principal activities:

“The principal activities of Volker Highways Limited (the ‘Company) are the provision of 24/7 highway maintenance services for local authorities, street lighting, surfacing, traffic management, as well as small civil engineering projects for both the public and private sectors.”

We have been paying this company over £10million a year on average and that sort of investment per year for highways should make a significant difference, even if done directly allowing for staff costs. Instead part of our money goes into their profits.

Also, larger projects, that should be subject to open tender, have been given to Volker, without anyone knowing how they arrive at the price, or to check whether it is value-for-money.

I tried a FOI to find out how these schemes were priced but information was refused.

Finally, Volker were given the contract without competition according to a cabinet report and costs would be through revenue (council tax) with no cost to capital.

Instead the £10million a year paid to Volker is charged to capital (adding to borrowing costs).

With a new potentially 10-year contract this could add at least £100million to our already huge debt.

BARRY GIGGINS

Greenacre

Windsor 

Maybe forwards could  try moving forwards

Tony Beck’s letter (Viewpoint, June 20) says it all.

I would add that all England football players should attend Specavers to distinguish between their own shirt colours and the opposition’s.

Also the coach might mention that players calling themselves ‘forwards’ are expected to move the ball in that direction and sometimes slot the thing into the other side’s net.

The soft state of the game is evident by the rule disallowing a goal being scored by barging the visitor’s goalkeeper into his net while holding the ball.

MDG

Forlease Drive

Maidenhead

If the cap fits — it must be the US President

On Tuesday morning, I saw photographs from the ‘Situation Room’, showing the United States President as American aircraft bombed sites in Iran.

On Wednesday morning, I read that a leaked intelligence report says the bombing raid probably did not destroy the deeply-buried nuclear facility; saw a clip of the same President venting his anger with both Israel and Iran, and using some distinctly ‘un-Parliamentary’ language; and read that he has criticised the media for reporting the leaked intelligence and for casting doubt on the success of the bombing raid.

To those of a certain age in this country, the President’s appearance in those ‘Situation-Room’ photographs may have brought memories of a former Conservative-party leader in his street-cred-enhancing baseball-cap days.

It called to my mind a series of reading-books in use in primary schools in this country in the 1980s, which featured various characters named after their head-wear.

There was Billy Blue-Hat, who wore a blue hat and lived in a blue house.

There was Jennifer Yellow-Hat, who wore a yellow hat and lived in a yellow house.

There was Roger Red-Hat, who wore a red hat and lived In a red house.

Are we now in the days of Donny Dunce’s-Hat, who wears a red hat and lives in a White House (when he isn't in Florida)?

“No good for Ascot’s Royal Enclosure”

Donny's suit is blue; his skin is orange;

Too much carrot juice can make you sick.

His hat, in the office, is a MAGA one -

Couldn’t find the one that said, “Kiss Me Quick”!

Jay Flynn

Moneyrow Green

Why don’t protesters go after the big money

We have the pro-Palestine protesters trying to influence where the Berkshire Local Government Pension Fund is invested.

In this case, the pro-Palestine protesters are not aware the money in the fund is owned by the staff of the six local authorities plus their pensioners.

The fund is administered by trustees appointed by the six authorities and they are charged with getting the best return on the money invested.

So Palestine protesters, would you like me to come and tell you where to invest your money. Why don’t you go after bigger fish in the investment pool? I am talking about the big insurance companies who invest money.

At the end of the day Israel has the right to defend itself. What does puzzle me is why there is no protest outside the Russian embassy?

Well we have been here before in 1967 when the Arabs wanted to push Israel into the sea. Israel fought back and won the right to exist.

Pro-Palestine protesters please note.

E Shepherd

Longmead, Windsor