Readers' letters - March 4

Boundary changes unfair
Early morning Fishergate  but a reader points out that there is an unlit obstacle on the road. See letter below     Picture: Lynn FieldingEarly morning Fishergate  but a reader points out that there is an unlit obstacle on the road. See letter below     Picture: Lynn Fielding
Early morning Fishergate  but a reader points out that there is an unlit obstacle on the road. See letter below Picture: Lynn Fielding

The proposed constituency boundary changes that will be soon be coming into place will clearly favour the current Conservative Government at the next General Election.

The boundary changes have been implemented by the Boundary Commission which, we are led to believe, is non-partisan, but I have my doubts.

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It is clear that this Government is gerrymandering the electoral system in order to safeguard its election prospects.

The Boundary Commission has clearly formulated the new boundaries in order to create safer seats for the Tories and, in doing so, it has disfranchised many voters across the country.

The plan to base new constituencies on electoral registration rather than population will hit the opposition harder.

I urge people to ensure they are on the Electoral Register because you have to register on an individual basis.

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To add insult to injury, the Government has reduced the size of unions’ political funds, which are used to support Labour in elections, as well as many other awareness campaigns. Sadly it seems we are heading towards a dictatorship that does not recognise the voices of the people who have been hit hard by the Government’s austerity programme.

Coun David Whitaker, Harbour Ward

Spotting the unlit obstacle

I was delighted to see the lovely picture by Lynn Fielding (LEP Letters, February 27). This illustrates beautifully a point I have been trying to make for months to anyone who will listen. I am hugely supportive of the Shared Space arrangements in the Fishergate ‘Gateway’ project, and I am pleased the public opposition to it has been less evident recently.

But a little matter remains to be dealt with, perhaps the project team has come ‘across’ this. The little matter is the unlit obstacle hiding in the shadow behind the clearly illuminated marker in the foreground. The photograph shows that the white van man has avoided getting across it, unlike some notorious exceptions previously featured in your pages.

Grinning Grandad George

Fast ‘becoming a dictatorship’

David Cameron, George Osborne and their Europhile chums are turning up the heat in their ‘Operation Fear’ campaign. The ‘gamble of the century’, forecasting economic doom, millions of jobs at risk and security of the country put in jeopardy are just a few of the examples Cameron has used in the scaremongering tactics, designed to persuade people to remain in the EU.

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His ‘deal’ is nothing less than window dressing, there are no reforms and the pathetic changes he has hailed as a victory can be rejected by the EU institutions at any time.

That won’t happen until after the referendum on June 23 and as those in power are replaced – Cameron won’t be around after the next election – there is no guarantee they will be honoured.

They have all denied there are plans afoot to form a Euro Army as part of the full integration of the member states of the EU, which includes the UK. Well, plans are now advanced with proposals for an initial 100 million euros to pave the way to a fully-fledged EU Defence Programme to begin in 2021 with integration and operational by 2025.

This is the direction that the EU is quickly heading, Cameron and the rest of our political elite know it but choose not to tell us.

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Just as the former Conservative PM Edward Heath knew when he signed the UK up to what was then the Common Market.

If you value freedom and democracy and believe in our country, do not believe anything that Cameron and company tell you, our future should not be in the EU, which is fast becoming yet another dictatorship.

Philip Griffiths, 
North West President UKIP

One too many commentators

I am happily watching the Six Nations but have one little complaint on the overmanning on the BBC.

On Friday’s match, they had four commentators in the studio, and one on the touchline.

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But why, when the commentator had Brian Moore as his sidekick, did they need Jonathan Davies? One too many.

I regard him as one of the finest players I have ever seen, and that in both codes, but on air, he can’t shut up.

The game wasn’t that good, it was spoiled by endless scrum setting, and dear old Jonathan rabbited on about this, and said “I am sick of talking about this, I am beginning to bore myself.”

Good old Brian Moore couldn’t miss that!

“Have you only just noticed?”

Nice one Brian, as I said, one too many.

Allan Fazackerley via email

A strong leader is essential

Cameron’s scare stories – repeated with such conviction – are because he knows that, if he remains as PM after a Brexit win, he has not got the strength or guts to give Britain the leadership that would be needed to overcome any of the ‘scare’ stories he is currently promoting, such as more crime, terrorism, price increases, however unlikely, if we were to leave the EU. The real worry on the minds of most of us ordinary people is the state of the NHS, overcrowding in our schools, housing, congestion on our roads etc, due to immigration and larger families. Let alone the dilution of our culture, way of life and Britishness.

Mr Cameron seems blissfully unaware of these worries.

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Greater protection of our borders and paying £20bn a year to the EU is not even on his radar.

“Will no one rid us of this troublesome PM” who is incapable of controlling his country, his party or even his own feelings?

Harvey Carter, Newton

Like all empires the EU will fall

Like all empires, the EU will fall like the Berlin Wall and fail.

So I predict that by 2025/30 there will be no EU, with or without an In or Out referendum!

Mrs M Donoghue, address supplied