Opinion | The Guardian
The closure of the Vauxhall plant in Luton is not the failure of capitalism but its success (‘Capitalism is dying’: in Luton, these former car workers have a moral tale for our times, 4 September). Producing goods on the cheap and selling for the highest price is why the car plant is now in Turkey. Zero-hours contracts, child labour and governments unable to protect workers are global symptoms. To reverse this we need to own production – nationalise. Marx was right.
Jonathan Hauxwell
Crosshills, North Yorkshire
To the former Vauxhall worker who believes “capitalism is dying”: no, it is alive and well. Unfortunately, you have paid the price for it.
Ian Osborne
Wichenford, Worcestershire
Aditya Chakrabortty writes of the plight of people trying to find work in Luton after Vauxhall’s closure. In nearby Bedford last Thursday, nearly all the jobs in an employment agency window paid the minimum wage. How are people supposed to live?
Shayne Mary Mitchell
Cambridge
A solution for Luton would be to set up a drone factory in the old Vauxhall works. It would count as investment and defence spending, and bring back employment.
Nick Floyer
Chiswick, London
