Letters to the Editor - 05th March 2008

Mar 5 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

Duplicity over Post Offices

I AM writing to express my disgust at the hypocritical way in which cabinet ministers are busy working to save the post offices in their constituencies, yet while in government they’ve overseen the closure of thousands of others across the country.

Their self-serving actions reveal that they know what ordinary people want, but they are cynically willing to destroy this important structure to our society where it doesn’t impinge upon their career security. This utter duplicity beggars belief.

I’m lucky in having my own transport, unlike many citizens who rely on Post Office services, yet just the other day I went to Birkenhead’s Oxton Road Post Office – the main one in the town centre – to renew my road tax and I found to my astonishment that it had closed forever.

I’d already been told at my local Post Office in Oxton village that they do not issue road tax. So I then had to drive to Prenton Dell, at huge inconvenience to myself, as I had planned a shopping trip in Birkenhead.

The Government has deliberately weakened post offices. They have removed a whole raft of services and payments to people formerly handled by the Post Office, instead forcing them through personal bank accounts and the like. Television licences and, as I found, DVLA business no longer has to be bought at post offices.

We’ve lost so many of the lovely old red telephone boxes which were such a typical and reassuring sight around Great Britain. While the loss of the post offices that so many of them stood outside is not as immediately visible, it is in fact an even greater calamity.

Does the Labour government, which is meant to stand up for the ordinary person, simply just not care one jot any more – other than when it directly affects individual’s chances of re-election?

B Richardson, Birkenhead

Civilised fans

THE Liverpool supporters who frequent the Sandon Public House, near Anfield, did no good for the image of Liverpool Football Club, or its supporters, when they reacted to the visit of Mr Hicks Junior.

They should be ashamed of themselves, true Liverpool supporters are above this behaviour.

You get rid of people with reasoned argument, not intimidation. At least civilised people do.

If they had approached Mr Hicks Junior and put their points over constructively and in orderly fashion, they may have got some answers and may even have used him as a Trojan horse to get the message over to Mr Hicks Snr.

The small section of Liverpool supporters appear to have set themselves up as spokespeople for all Liverpool fans, but in fact most Liverpool followers do not share all their views; their marches, demonstrations, and behaviour.

This is not the true face of Liverpool fans who are knowledgeable, fair and respected for their sportsmanship. These small self-appointed groups are a throw-back to the Derek Hatton days, when agitators plagued the city with marches, work to rules, strikes and yob culture.

I have been a Liverpool supporter for 50 years and love my club; but I don’t want to be associated with the type of behaviour that went on when Mr Hicks visited what is a public house, not a Liverpool-fans-only domain; and I guess there are countless thousands who share my views.

You only have to look at the couple of thousand self-appointed “guardians of Liverpool FC” who stay behind after games to sing their silly chants at the Americans, to see what a minority they are.

Let’s pack it in. Let the club and the team settle down and see if we can get fourth in the Premiership and have a crack at the Champions League; Rafael Benitez has said he and Mr Hicks have “made up”, so let’s do that, too.

Len Griffiths, Prenton

Angelic

I WOULD like to tell you about Wavertree Bungalows, at Olive Mount. My daughter, who has Down’s Syndrome, spent a few weeks at the bungalow and the care and attention she got was wonderful.

The doctors and nurses and staff there were not carers, they were angels.

A Williams, Fazakerley

Green bandwagon

WHAT a silly furore has been caused by our use of plastic bags. How gullible we have all become with our multi-coloured bins and recycling programmes.

Did you hear some “expert” on TV saying that it takes 1,000 years to destroy a plastic bag. This is just a number plucked from the ozone layer by some meddling wet and yet everyone believes it.

In truth, plastic bags disappear to almost nothing in flames. I am sure that the fumes from these flames could easily be filtered safely, if we wanted to destroy the bags by fire.

As it happens, I do think that the reinforced brown paper bags, used in America, are much more aesthetically pleasing than the plastic bags, but that’s another point.

When I was a child, my mother had a big canvas bag in which she carried all the shopping and it lasted for years.

But now that they sniff success, the recyclers and “greens” are attracting the bullies and poke-noses, who always want to attach themselves to organisations, which allow them to boss the rest of us about.

Edward Stevens, Ellesmere Port

Protect and serve

THE first duty of government for Liberals is to ensure the freedom, liberty and security of its citizens.

Those in society who commit crime and harm others, can and should expect to be deprived of their liberty.

For us to read that more than 1,300 criminals including thugs, robbers and burglars have been released early from Merseyside jails since June, 2007, shows that this government is compromising the first fundamental duty of government.

For those of us working in the communities with the police and the majority of honest residents, this Government is undermining our efforts and encouraging those who have no concept of duty and responsibility.

It sometimes can be hard enough to encourage residents to give police information, let alone be witnesses. By giving early release, this Government is sending the message out: “Don’t bother”.

Cllr Steve Radford and Dennis Gaskell, Tuebrook and Clubmoor Liberal Party

Betrayal

THOSE MPs who are thinking of voting in favour of the “Lisbon Treaty” on Wednesday in the House of Commons should think again.

The results from the I Want a Referendum Campaign (Daily Post, March 3) show 88% of those who voted in the 10 marginal Labour and Lib-Dem constituencies, where overwhelmingly backing the campaign to force the Government to hold a referendum as promised in their 2005 election manifesto.

The Labour government with support from the Lib-Dems, argue that the “Lisbon Treaty” is not the “European Constitution” as rejected by the voters of France and the Netherlands in 2005, despite other leaders in the EU saying that it is. It is time that MPs listened to the wishes of the electorate and stood by their own election pledge.

Voters have a long memory and will remember those who have betrayed them.

Phil Griffiths, UK Independence Party

Farewell, Britain

IF WE were to ask our MPs whether they would prefer to live under a Christian monarchy Parliamentary system under God, or a secular EU superstate under politically correct bureaucrats, then sadly I suspect most of our MPs would choose the latter.

This will explain why they are so determined to push through the Lisbon treaty and deny us a say, betraying their election promises. Under this new EU superstate; in the name of so-called human rights and alleged climate change, they will tax, monitor and regulate us all even more-for our own good, of course. This superstate will be increasingly intolerant and persecute those who question or reject any of its politically correct values, so tough times ahead for Bible-believing Christians.

Britain has gradually been abolished since the 1960s and we are sadly living through this latest chapter of surrender by our “representatives”. The public are once again denied a voice.

Sharon Roberts, L3

Custodians

RE:. YOUR article of February 26, “Preservation move to threat to £100m Hope Street revamp”. I would like to ask why the council seem to regard all big developers as “white knights” and their projects as necessarily beneficial to this city?

The primary aim of the developers is to make maximum profits from their investments, not to produce buildings that are sympathetic to their surroundings.

Your article refers to the Hahnemann Building as being a “free gift to Liverpool citizens” from Sir Henry Tate. This is an excellent example of philanthropy and a building of special architectural merit that has stood the test of time.

The Maghull Group’s proposed buildings do not compare well with the Hahnemann Building and will not last as long. The council needs to act as custodians of our wonderful legacy of public buildings and not as rubber stampers for big developers.

S Taylor, Liverpool

Appalled

I WAS appalled to read last week of the Tory councillor in Liscard. The public expect their representatives to defend their living conditions, not put their health at risk in such a way.

The councillor concerned should do the decent thing and stand down from the high-profile position she holds on Wirral Partnership Homes Board. How can she represent housing tenants while treating this university student and her daughter so disgracefully?

A Battersby, Egremont