Dear Editor,

Many will have watched David Olusoga's Empire programme and are horrified by the brutal treatment of Africans removed from their homes and used as slave labour in Britain's colonies.

Three centuries later we may not be so openly cruel but the language used and the actions planned by government ministers show a similar disregard for those fleeing persecution and seeking safety in the richer and safer world.

Peoples of all nations wish to live in peace, feel valued and make a living that gives them security.

Whether it is the aggressive flying of flags or the tightening of regulations the message from many in the UK is that those who have suffered trauma in their own countries and then escaping are to be further punished.

Let us show the compassion and acceptance (as we have often done in the past to Jews escaping the Nazis and more recently to Ukrainians) to all whatever their skin colour, religion or ability.

I know many in our local area do so I hope we in Somerset can set an example.

John Ainsworth

Wellington

Dear Editor,

On behalf of Christian Response to Eastern Europe (cr2ee) we would like to say a very warm thank you to all those who supported the recent Pop Up shop organised and run by two amazing sisters Susan and Linda which raised £1,250 for the charity and we understand an equal amount for Breast Cancer.

Wonderful knitted garments and Christmas gifts proved popular for the good people of Wellington plus many visitors.

Thanks also to the many local folk who have supported cr2ee throughout the year and although early, wish them all a blessed, happy, and peaceful Christmas.

Janice and David Bawler

Hemyock

Dear Editor,

Referring to the rather superficial tone of last week's Editorial comment piece about Somerset Council's consideration of employing a highly-paid interim planning officer to deal with a backlog of applications, I feel someone needs to set the record straight and tackle the subject of local government funding in a more balanced way.

For a start, looking at the article on page eight of the same edition of the paper - which explains the situation in more level-headed detail for all to see - it would appear that the appointment would be as a stop-gap as yet under consideration and not a done-deal. It is also part of a carefully weighed-up decision, not just 'made-up' as your Editorial misleadingly implies. It is also worth knowing that bringing-in consultancy expertise short-term is both standard practice and in the end, usually cost-effective, despite what the figures may hint at, at first glance.

The piece also implies that this decision has substantially contributed to the hike in Council Tax which again is misleading and untrue. The real reasons are more humdrum but, nevertheless, the inconvenient truth.

Councils up and down the land - of all differing political leanings - are desperately strapped for cash, principally due to spending a huge proportion of their council tax revenue on supporting important social care programmes, a statutory cost imposed by central government. In Somerset's case it is around 67 per cent of their income and that is what makes the biggest hole in the budget, not a single salary for a particular temporary consultant member of staff, yet to be fully appointed.

Couple that with the fact that Somerset under previous administrations kept its council tax charges artificially low compared with other local authorities and a 'day of reckoning' was bound to come. Another background reason is the inefficient and out-dated way in which council tax is calculated, based on approximate property values which just happen to be lower on average in Somerset than in other areas of the country, like neighbouring Dorset. This inefficient arrangement alone generates less disposable cash here per head

So, overall, it is worth remembering that our Somerset Council is a democratically elected and constituted authority with full accountability, made-up of our fellow citizens who do have our best interests in mind but are battling with hard times as we all are. Don't let's rush to judgement without the facts.

JF Pocock

Wellington

Dear Editor,

As temperatures plummet, we urge people to keep a caring eye on stray and abandoned cats without access to shelter or food. For them, the risk of hypothermia or painful frostbite is real. 

In the past 12 months, Cats Protection has taken in more than 26,000 cats left behind by life, including over 3,000 kittens from unwanted litters. 

Our winter fundraising and awareness campaign (cats.org.uk/alfie) aims to provide food, shelter and care for neglected cats.  

Yours faithfully,

Daniel Warren-Cummings

Central behaviour officer, Cats Protection