Winds of political change are blowing

I HAVE to say I was surprised to read your front page on Wednesday, and the news that Walton MP Peter Kilfoyle is quitting the world of politics after 19 years at the coalface.

Mr Kilfoyle has certainly been a colourful character to have in Westminster. I can’t say I have always agreed with him on everything, but, from what I have seen over the years, he has been a man of conviction and principles who has never been minded to toe the party line.

Of course he won’t be the only one heading out of the House of Commons for the last time this year; we have a good number of other Merseyside MPs leaving. In some cases, they will be much missed; on others, I feel the time is right for change.

This upcoming election could be one of the most exciting this country has seen in a long time, and there is the potential for a breath of fresh air to sweep through Parliament.

We have an opportunity to elect new people with hopefully new ideas and new ways of thinking.

I only hope that the people of this country appreciate that and actually get out there and vote. I know I will be.

G Howells, via email

Baffled by title

RE: PLAIN English (Beatrice Fraenkel, Daily Post, Letters, February 24).

Could she tell me exactly what is a “shadow executive member for ethical governance”. Plain English please.

John Burns, Mossley Hill

No regionalisation

I AM puzzled why an educated person like Dr Sykes (Daily Post Letters, February 24) considers Regional Government of England to be a good thing.

Nobody in England asked for regionalisation, so why are we having it imposed upon us? Why is England the only home nation without a Parliament or Assembly? Surely the English deserve a national government, one that isn't afraid to stop English companies and industries being bought out and shut down.

We don't need dividing into EU regions, we need uniting as an English nation!

Les Taylor, Runcorn

Same records

I HAVE been a listener to Radio Merseyside for a number of years.

They appear to have only 50 records which they play over and over again.

Name and address supplied

Not funny

I SOMETIMES wonder if we lose our sense of humour as we get older. I used to love a good comedian and there were so many at one time. Maybe there still are on the clubs, but on TV I wonder what the audience laugh at – or maybe it is just me.

The comedians these days just seem to talk to the audiences, but they don’t crack jokes any more, like Bob Monkhouse, for instance.

The only one I can laugh at now is Tom O’Connor, who is the old type of comedian – but such humour is rare now, isn’t it?

I can watch Victoria Wood, Jimmy Carr, Harry Hill, Michael McIntyre, Jack Dee, Russell Howard, Johnny Vegas, Lee Evans, Peter Kaye and Russell Brand without a titter. Is it me, I wonder?

P Armitage, Moreton

Roadworks chaos

I'VE long given up on the dream of utility companies talking to each other and coordinating their plans to dig up our city streets in order to generate the least disruption.

But, is there any discussion between those carrying out roadworks and those in charge of Liverpool's traffic light system to work together?

I ask because currently there are what appear to be water mains renewal works taking place on at least two major junctions on my route to and from work in the city centre – one at the top of Aigburth Road, and one at the bottom of Park Lane, at its junction with Liver Street.

In isolation, these are likely to cause disruption. But the problems are being compounded by the traffic light system which hasn't been altered to take into account an increase or decrease of vehicles from different directions.

The result is frustration and, in the case of Aigburth Road, gridlock for vehicles trying to feed in from Dingle Lane and Park Road.

It seems so simple to temporarily tweak the lights system, I can't understand why it's not being done.

Christine Davison, Aigburth

So long, store

THEY do say you don’t know what you have got ‘til it’s gone and never has a truer word been spoken about the Lewis’s department store. Once the pride of this city, it is now shutting up shop for good after all the attempts to save it have been exhausted.

It is very sad and my heart goes out to the employees who will lose their jobs, but, as the modern saying goes: “If you don’t use it, you lose it.”

J Malone, Allerton

Racism shame

I WAS utterly shocked and appalled at your front-page story on Friday “Police ride buses to save girls from racism”.

I cannot believe these young women are being hassled like this in this day and age. I thought we were living in a civilised society.

E Rhodes (Mrs), Heswall