Have your say on these MetroTalk topics and more in the comments.
Why not change more lives with life-changing Lotto amount?
Once again my hackles are rising at the thought of just one person/family winning a bizarre amount of money.
One ticket scooped the jackpot of £177million in Tuesday’s EuroMillions National Lottery draw (Metro, Thu).
Nobody needs £177m to have a good life. How much better it would be to spread the winnings and, say, 20 people received almost £9m each?
There should be a formula that sets out how many winning tickets share the prize money, based on the total – the higher this is the more people share it. Merry S, Hampton
Labour factoring in mental health into back to work policy
Proper accommodations for mental illnesses and neurodiversity will help keep people in work (Picture: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images)Work and pensions minister Liz Kendall says mental health provision will increase in an attempt to get some of the 2.8million long-term sick into jobs (Metro, Wed).
It’s so refreshing to have a government realise you can’t just punish sick people back into work.
Labour’s focus on mental illness as a driver of long-term unemployment represents the best social security policy we’ve had in years.
My only worry is that it doesn’t go far enough. The epidemic of poor mental health is a public health emergency and the government should declare it as such.
Furthermore, as a society we need to make proper accommodations for people with mental illnesses and neurodiversity.
These people enrich our communities and workplaces by offering fresh perspectives and different ideas.
Some progress has been made but a massive lack of acceptance and necessary adaptations remain – as evidenced by the inability of these people to enter the workforce.
To an extent, the more we invest in mentally ill and neurodivergent people – both in money and effort – the more we will get back in our society. We must realise what the government has – that you have to speculate to accumulate. Sharon, ManchesterI faced discrimination when I applied for a mortgage in the 70s Richard (MetroTalk, Wed) defends the view that it is much harder to get on the property ladder now than in the 70s.
He said that back then, the average home cost four times the average annual income but that today the average home costs 8.8 times the average annual income.
In 1970, my husband and I took out a mortgage, towards which only nine months of my income was taken into account.
Shortly afterwards, under the Sex Discrimination Act, that practice was discontinued so the whole of a woman’s income was counted. This led to a meteoric rise in house prices, meaning that in order to repay the mortgage both partners needed to work. That was a big societal change. Helen B, Bristol
If the state of NHS dentistry is Labours fault why didnt the tories fix it?David Rowland (MetroTalk, Wed) says the shortage of NHS dentistry is ‘solely the fault of Labour,’ referring to the dental services contract Tony Blair introduced.
So the Conservatives’ failure to improve matters during 14 years in office doesn’t make them at least a little bit culpable? Chris, Stockport
Reality star gets a reality check
Olga Bednarska was arrested at Manchester Airport last month (Picture: Getty)Its unbelievable Netflix star Olga Bednarska got off with a suspended sentence for trying to smuggle 40kg of cannabis into the UK. The only good outcome is that she was caught. Reality star? This is her reality check! Paul, London
Should those prisoners released early under the government’s scheme to free up places not have to do community service for the rest of their sentences? At least victims would not be let down so much! Sandra Peterkin, Edinburgh
One of my self-defence students ‘helped’ attacker through a window
What if sexist suggestions of avoiding attention dont work? (Credits: Getty Images/iStockphoto)Have police attitudes changed since I taught womens self defence? Regarding Martin’s letter about self-defence classes (MetroTalk, Wed), written in response to your campaign highlighting violence against women and girls.
I taught aikido at Riverside Recreation Centre in Stafford in the 70s to 90s and started teaching ladies self-defence at the request of the county council. I extended this to a kids’ lesson on hearing of this need from some mothers. I started my ‘career’ learning goshin jutsu in Handsworth in 1972. My proudest moment came when one of my ladies avoided an attack in the central square one evening – and the attacker was helped through a H Samuel jewellers shop window.
When I arrived for my next lesson, I found a senior police officer there being interviewed by a local radio reporter. The officer said his advice to girls was to dress down/appropriately/non-provocatively and that the best approach was always to run away and find help. Have police attitudes changed? David Birt (5th Dan), Cannock
Violence against women and girls is male violence
Last year alone, over one million crimes against women and girls were recorded in England and Wales (Credits: Getty Images)Good to see you talking about what women and girls experience and suffer at the hands of some men, but when we name it as ‘violence against women and girls,’ we leave out the active participant and take the onus off men to tackle this problem – making it more of a woman’s problem.
Why don’t we call a spade a spade and say ‘male violence’ and tackle what’s going on with men and boys that is enabling them to act this way.
Self-defence classes for women and girls is like a band aid. Let’s get to the root of the problem in this epidemic, and fast. Sarah, Brixton
Can forgiveness bring hope and freedom for everyone?
Former fitness instructor Catherine Davies after George Taylor hit her with his car (Picture: Norfolk Constabulary/SWNS)William Barklam (MetroTalk, Thu) says George Taylor should be banned for driving for life after he crashed into Catherine Davies, leaving her paralysed from the neck down.
The 19-year-old had been filming himself steering with his knees when he hit her. He was jailed for two years and banned from getting behind the wheel for 40 months. This was an awful situation, and one which has left Catherine’s life permanently changed.
However, as a Christian, I feel compelled to challenge the notion that the perpetrator should be punished permanently for their actions.
The driver undoubtedly committed a very serious crime, for which he has been correctly punished.
In the Bible, Jesus teaches forgiveness and that if a person repents, their sins are forgiven and their slate wiped clean.
Yes, punishment should take place but I believe that an individual should have the opportunity to turn from their ways and have a new start and not be condemned to a whole-life punishment.
In Christianity, the joy of forgiveness brings hope and freedom, not only for the perpetrator but also for those granting forgiveness. Stephen Pickup, Bolton