Readers' letters: Will ‘super councils’ have ‘super mayors’?

There is no disputing that people who live in other than close proximity to Preston feel marginalised.

As I understand it, the county council is suggesting that it should abolish itself and the 14 district councils currently running the show throughout the county and create three so-called ‘super councils’.

And is all this so that Lancashire can have a so-called Lancashire Mayor? So what is to be gained for the people so affected?

Local government goes back a long way to Anglo Saxon times – about 700 AD– not too quickly followed by the Normans and then the Medieval Period, all of which were good times as long as you had several thousand acres and were good friends with whoever was the local big shot.

No doubt many people in Preston and other areas will remember with some affection the Urban District Councils, which were abolished in 1974. Then the people who were elected were well known in the community and were able to pursue the community’s interests; if they didn’t, they paid the price at the next election time.

It is only right that the current ability of district councils to provide a meaningful range of services should be examined although that, perhaps, is for other people to justify or otherwise. The 1974 reorganisation of local government gave vast powers to county councils which have been utilised to the best of their ability.

Unfortunately, because the outlying reaches of the county are up to 30 miles from Preston, the county council is regarded as remote and will continue to be so regarded.

So, one wonders if the 14 district councils and officers – and, more importantly, the folk who live there – really relish the thought of being abolished only to become part of a ‘super council’?

What good will it be? What powers will they have?

Will it just be another opportunity for officials to have larger departments-and budgets? Who thought this scheme up?

Perhaps each ‘super council’ will have a ‘super mayor’?

Is all this not going to cost a fortune?

Where will it all end?

Gerard Parke-Hatton

Broughton

politics

Aboard the gravy train

I wonder what those Brexit-voting pensioners are thinking today as they now have to stump up for their TV licences.

Contrast that with the rewards for the cronies of Boris as they step on to an even more established gravy train, the House of Lords rest home express.

Did the likes of Claire Fox and others, who criticised the lack of accountability and lavish travel and expenses of the EU, give up one euro of payment, whilst reclining in the limbo of an inactive European Parliament over the past 12 months?

Or will she follow the example of Nigel Farage and work to bring about the downfall of an unelected forum she is now a party of.

Who will get the title of Baron/ness Brexit?

Denis Lee, Ashton

virus

Contradictions of mask rule

Will someone please explain to me why I can go to a pub or restaurant and sit for hours in conversation, laugh and eat, opening and closing my mouth without a mask?

However, a quick visit to a shop or supermarket for bread and milk necessitates a mask to be worn. This could be a five-minute visit with no need to speak.

Also, while watching TV news, and when out and about, how often do we see people touching and adjusting their masks?

Masks are removed, waved about, pushed into pockets and pulled out again, shaking any germs and virus into the air.

People also seem to forget to keep at a distance too.

Could this be why there has been a slight increase in cases in the last few days?

I also cannot see the wearing of masks encouraging people to go out on spending sprees to help revive the economy. I find 20 minutes is about as much as I can tolerate.

J Coward, Penwortham

virus

Friendship Day

Last Thursday was International Friendship Day, which I had never heard of.

Why publicise it now?

Because we have been forced apart from our families, are unable to see dying relatives, attend funerals or allowed a reprieve through religion or a party.

Joy is cancelled.

Atomisation in society has been talked about for many years, but this has made people afraid to look people in the eye, the only part of their body you are allowed to see because of mandatory face masks.

Simon via email

virus

Local lesson

in lockdown

We will all have learnt different things during the pandemic and subsequent lockdown. One thing that became obvious is the value of local shops when supermarkets failed to meet the demands of doorstep deliveries.

Seeing these shopkeepers working all hours to meet demands for essentials leads me to hope that people will remember these efforts.

Many are already under huge pressure. Perhaps the old slogan of ‘‘a dog is for life, not just Christmas’’ could be adapted to ‘‘local shops are for always and not just for global pandemic lockdown’’ – or next time they will simply not be there.

Steve McGivern via email