IN A recent letter printed in your newspaper, Liberal Democrat MEP Chris Davies once again claimed that the UK Independence Party are “climate change deniers”. I can categorically say that we are not “climate change deniers”; but we are “climate change realists”, for, although we do believe that the climate is changing, we question the extent of Man’s contribution to this alteration.
Mr Davies also claims that all of the world’s governments are in agreement about Man’s contribution, but what he does not tell your readers is that the world’s scientists are not. He is also on record as saying that “families should be encouraged to have no more than one child in an effort to combat climate change”, yet at the same time supports unlimited immigration into this country.
Paul Nuttall, UK Independence Party Chairman
Lost on Austen
JANE COSTELLO’S warm and chatty interview with Peter Elson (Daily Post, March 6) strengthened my belief that it is really hard to write popular fiction.
Yet why does Jane apply its terminology to Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” as “The classiest chick-lit ever written?”.
There is far more to Austen’s novel than a happy denouement for her heroine: its concentrated thought and subtle shades of brilliant satire prove it a classic, very different from relatively light, enjoyable popular fiction. One doesn’t have to be a “literary snob” to appreciate this distinction.
Joyce Exley, Aigburth
Last chance to see
DURING the 1950s, the Ritz Cinema in Birkenhead held a “Holiday Girl” contest – hosted by the manager Mr Bill Boht. When the cinema (later Bingo) was closed, photographs of the cinema, including one showing the holiday girls contest, were donated to Wirral Museum, in Hamilton Square. After a number of years in storage, they have now gone on display, which is rather ironic seeing as the museum is to close.
If any Wirral ladies can remember the competition and would like to see if they are on the photograph, then the projection staff at the museum cinema would like to hear from you. Please contact the Wirral Museum on 0151 666 4010 or speak to the curator Mr Colin Simpson on 0151 652 4177.
Projection Team, Wirral Museum Cinema
Free for all
IT'S not just Manchester where parking is free on Sunday (Daily Post Letters, March 9). I know of no other city in Britain which charges for Sunday parking. Recently, in London, I was able to park on the Embankment close to Tate Britain, for as long as I liked, at no charge – no congestion charge either on Sunday, of course.
In and near William Brown Street, to visit the Walker, apart from charges there is a two-hour limit, which makes a visit to an exhibition a clock-watching experience.
City of Culture?
John Baxter, via email
Safety first
IT SEEMS that the Government is now considering lowering the national road speed limit on single carriageways from 60mph to 50mph.
This is long overdue, but it clearly does not go far enough.
Due to their management of our economy, adequate cheap labour will soon be available in order to ensure that every vehicle is preceded by a person carrying a red flag. The resultant speed reduction to walking pace would be a major contribution to road safety and, were it to save even one child, it would be worth it.
John Eoin Douglas, via email
Opportunity
I MUST take issue with Mark Neal’s letter (Daily Post, Letters, March 4) regarding Birkenhead High School becoming an Academy. I don’t accept his argument that its social make-up will not change. The school is committed to admitting an all-ability intake, reflecting a range of applicants using “fair banding” as part of its admissions process.
I regard the transfer of this school from the independent sector to a state-funded Academy as a real opportunity for a wider group of young people to benefit from the school’s ethos of high expectations and raising aspirations and standards.
With regard to funding, the £11m which the school will receive from the Government is in addition to funding allocated to other Wirral schools. May I also point out that the other schools to which Mr Neal refers have also benefited from significant additional funding in recent years, ie, £7m for St John Plessington, £6m for Prenton High School, and £26m for a brand new secondary school in Woodchurch.
Cllr Phil Davies, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services & Lifelong Learning Wirral Council
National shame
IT’S a shame that, so close to the Grand National, only half a mile away, the Netherton area now looks like an industrial wasteland.
GM, email
Out of touch
THE legal challenge against the proposals to rebuild the Royal show just how out-of-touch the Keep Our NHS Public Campaign (KONP) is (Daily Post, March 6, 2009).
To say, as Sam Semoff does, that the people of Liverpool have not been adequately consulted on options for refurbishment and redevelopment is a distortion of the fact. There have been two consultations – one by Liverpool Primary Care Trust and the other by Liverpool City Council on the outline proposals.
The communities I represent in Liverpool City Centre and Kensington Fields deserve a state- of-the-art new hospital next to the Royal’s current site.
Redevelopment will give the NHS Trust the opportunity to improve clinical care with new technology and to deliver more services within the community.
The Government’s use of Private Finance Initiative funding has resulted in the largest school and hospital building programme ever seen. If KONP had their way, the communities I represent would wait decades for the public services they deserve.
I hope the High Court sees sense and throws this challenge out.
Cllr Nick Small, Labour councillor for Central Ward
Higher costs
YOUR editorial (March 6) attacks Sam Semoff’s motives for challenging the consultation over plans for a new Royal Hospital, but repaying the PFI debt over 25 years will have first call on hospital budgets, even before clinical need.
Prominent academics and unions compare PFI to “paying for a new hospital with a credit card”, double or triple the cost of public procurement.
Wales and Scotland have ditched PFI for new hospitals.
In January, the Tories published a leaked Government memo warning that PFI bank loans are likely to dry up with the ongoing credit crunch.
Yet Royal directors never mentioned PFI in their consultation documents.
The public was asked to vote on a new hospital with no details of cost estimates or how they would be funded.
If doctors prescribed a drug without warning patients of potentially lethal side effects, would you trumpet the drug or uphold the public’s right to know the risks?
Greg Dropkin, email
A real asset
THE Somali Women’s Group’ in Lodge Lane, L8, would like to express a huge thank you on behalf of the trustees, staff and beneficiaries to the Toxteth Princes Trust Team 4. A team of great young people and their supervisors, Lisa and Stephanie, came to our building every day for two weeks and painted and decorated a number of our rooms, including the waiting room, office and creche.
All the money to carry out this project was raised by the team, and they even provided a selection of new toys for the children. They are a real asset to Liverpool and the community. Keep up the good work.
Weelo Suleban, (Chair) Somali Women’s Group L8
Pointless
RE: “SLOW Service” (Daily Post, March 6). Trust a boffin like Tim Leunig to earn a living by poring over train timetables, among other pointless things.
He probably arrived at his conclusion by comparing the time taken by an express train then to a stopping train now. Who is daft enough to pay his salary, I wonder?
Brendan Bolland, via email
Art sale plea
I AM currently researching the sale of Bibby’s Art Collection, at Outhwaite and Litherland, on November 15, 1961. If any readers have any information, I would be pleased to hear from them.
A catalogue would be extremely useful.
Any information received would be treated in the strictest confidence.
Peter Woods, Ryan-wood Antiques, pdw@ryan-wood.freeserve.co.uk
