Readers' letters - July 6

Visiting Chorley Library this week, I picked up a document entitled, ‘Property strategy consultation 2016. Have your say Chorley.’

It’s published by Lancashire County Council and runs to no less than 16 pages.

I could only find one question in it which was relevant to myself, and then I reached the last two pages.

In addition to asking my age, sex, employment, age, etc, it then asks if I have ever identified as transgender, followed by a full explanation of what this means.

Am I deaf or disabled, am I married or in a civil partnership, what is my religion, am I straight, gay, or something else?

What is my colour, nationality and am I a Gypsy? Most of these questions also give the option of saying ‘other’ or ‘I don’t know’.

This is just a small picture of what, in my view, are totally unnecessary questions considering the actual purpose of the document.

Needless to say, my copy of this questionnaire is now in the bin for recycling!

If LCC is looking for ways to save money, can I suggest that they take a serious look at how they really ask us, the ratepayers, for feedback?

Graham Archer, Chorley

Looking to the future post-EU

The UK economy seems to stagger from one crisis to another as the unexpected UK Brexit vote unfolds. Most of this was foreseeable, such as the GB pound value plunging, but this is short-term and many of the stock market positions have already returned to their former recent positions.

Our economy will recover and must be judged in a longer time frame, where our lower export costs and trading with the WTO benefits, free of petty EU regulations, will eventually bear fruit.

Why is the ‘EU Single Market’ so frequently mentioned as being so important by the hand-wringing ex-Remainers?

We have indicated we are willing to still trade with the EU, but we will not accept their ‘open border’ policies as a condition.

The UK should now be concentrating on grasping the much larger worldwide trading opportunities available to us and not letting this proposed two-year leaving negotiation paralyse us into doing nothing.

Unfortunately our opposition Labour Party is in even more total disarray than this leaderless Conservative Government, which is distinctly unhealthy for a democratic nation presently seeking to redefine itself after a Referendum vote to leave the EU.

It is interesting that the leading Tory ‘Leaver’, Boris Johnson, has now bowed out of the party leadership stakes but the Conservative Party should still insist on electing a Leave candidate as Premier to drive through the UK’s recently expressed desire to redefine our nation’s direction.

If you discount Michael Gove as being beyond the pale – due to his last minute dumping of his erstwhile companion and now putting himself forward as a candidate, when previously claiming he never would – we are now left with Andrea Leadsom as the obvious choice. Theresa May is a reluctant convert to us leaving the EU (particularly when her long-term goal of the Premiership is now on offer), although I’m sure she would do her best in representing Britain’s interests.

Also we must recognise that most civil servants, whose future role will be to negotiate our future release from the EU, were closet ‘Remainers’, so we need good leaders to ensure our nation’s focussed interests are achieved.

The recent suggestion that we call upon proven commercial industrialists like Lord Digby Jones and Sir James Dyson to positions where their knowledge and intelligence can be utilised to drive and rekindle the embers of our former glory as a once Great Britain on a global basis, is a good one.

Let us hope that our future Premier’s Government thinks so too.

E J Tilley, Chorley

The sorry state

of our verges

My daughter was on a recent visit to us in Cottam and asked “Mum, what has happened to the grass verges?”

Well, the answer is Lancashire County Council has taken over the cutting of this grass.

Sorry, I should say it has NOT cut the grass.

We have lived in Cottam for 20 years, and have always taken pride in the neat and well cared for green areas.

Matthew Kelly and his team at Preston City Council have always kept the grass cut regularly and edges trimmed.

We now have unkempt verges and the overall appearance is simply a mess.

Can anyone tell me what is happening?

Coun Christine Abram, Cottam

No plan but a political mess

I was undecided during the EU referendum for a long time, but eventually opted for Remain as it seemed a safer option in a turbulent world. Saying that, I understand the reasons why others voted out.

I assumed, wrongly as it happens, that there would be a plan in place for this outcome. A plan? What’s that again, say our politicians who decided to give a referendum but with no plan. And now we have a politicial mess.

Maybe we’re right to leave the EU, maybe we’re not, but there should never have been a referendum at all without a sensible plan in place. Some young people (36 per cent voted) blame the older generation. Well, I don’t, I blame the politicians.

Jane, Lancashire

MP’s murder was shocking

I was shocked by the murder of Jo Cox. Our democracy still struggles to be true to its aims, but in all parties there are people like Jo, working to bring the needs of her constituents into Parliamentary debate. My heart goes out to her family –and to the family of her killer, who seemed to be deranged. I hope for peace of mind for the husband and children left behind.

Miss E Norton, Bamber Bridge

Jeremy never given a chance

I’m disgusted with Labour MPs calling on Jeremy Corbyn to go. They’ve never given him a chance.

Tim Mickleburgh via email