Letters to the Editor - 19th March 2008

Mar 19 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

Gift to city will be defaced

I AM writing from California about the fate of St Mary of the Angels Church, which was founded, financed and furnished by my great aunt, Amy Imrie.

As her closest living relative, I am appalled to learn the church is about to become a musical practice hall. Amy’s single-minded determination and generosity has provided Liverpool with a magnificent building which has been described as the finest of its type in England.

She did this for the people of Liverpool, especially for the poor for whom she cared so much.

It is outrageous that the city council and the Archdiocese have now come up with a plan that not only keeps the church closed, but defaces its interior for the benefit of an organisation that has nothing to do with the church or its parishioners. Not only that, but over a million pounds is suddenly forthcoming to disfigure the building and ensure it remains closed, when none was available to keep it open.

The final irony, of course, is that this is taking place as Liverpool is European Capital of Culture. The city should be doing everything in its power to preserve its heritage, not destroy it.

Shame on the city council for approving this plan and the Archdiocese for opting out of its responsibilities. This is the same duo that was all set to reduce the church to a pile of rubble several years ago. It was only thanks to the endless efforts of Kay Kelly and her supporters that this plot was publicised and stopped.

Kay Kelly continues to have my complete support, as well as my admiration and gratitude. The memory of my great aunt and her gift to Liverpool would be long forgotten were it not for Kay.

Richard Pollard, Ph.D, Santa Monica, CA

Benefit of EU workers

MARTYN BARBER (Benefit disgrace, letters March 13) ignores the fact that workers from EU accession countries such as Poland pay tax and national insurance upon their earnings.

This means that they are as entitled to consider themselves British taxpayers, and are as entitled to the benefits for which they have paid.

Mr Barber would have them as second-class taxpayers entitled only to make contributions to our country and receive none of the benefits, but the UK is a fair country and such views are rightly eschewed by our government.

Because most are young and in good health, an amazing 97% of them are in employment and they make a tremendous contribution to the GDP of this country with few demands upon our health service.

Only 3% of EU workers bring their children with them to this country, which means that in most areas, they do not bring excess demand upon health and education services, the cost of education and health being born by the countries in which their children reside.

To sum up, the UK benefits from highly productive, low-cost workers whose children, in the main, receive education and health care at the expense of other countries. Where indigenous British taxpayers would be entitled to monetary benefits for their children so should they, wherever they are living. Their home countries are suffering hardship by their absence and we should be celebrating their presence here.

Alex Black, Chester

Carters Fund thanks

ON BEHALF of the trustees of the Liverpool Carters Monument Appeal Fund, I would like to thank those who supported our fundraising luncheon at the Liverpool Athenaeum.

The event was organised by proprietors Janie Owen and Rob Ainsworth, assisted by Pamela Brown, and was a resounding success.

Thanks also to our guest speakers, Inspector Graham Howard, head of the Merseyside Police Mounted Section, and the “King of Comedy”, Ken Dodd, who were introduced by toastmaster John Coventry, who did a splendid job conducting the raffles and auction.

A donation of £260 was received from Paul Orr, from his licensed premises in Walton Vale, on behalf of the late Billy Murphy, a former carter employed at Jarvis Robinson Transport, Bootle. Billy had left instructions that any proceeds from his lottery numbers were to be forwarded to the Carters Appeal Fund. Mr Murphy’s family had previously donated £1,000 to the project on their late father’s behalf.

Joe Hartley, Chairman, Ellesmere Port.

Go home Ms Blears

AS A Scouser born and bred, one of the things that makes me proud of our city is our tolerance and warmth towards people from different cultures. And because of this, ethnic minorities have integrated far better here than in other cities.

So imagine my shock at reading in the Daily Post that Salford MP Hazel Blears has been put in charge of Labour's campaign in Liverpool.

After all, this is the Labour minister who, in 2005, said Muslims should accept being treated as potential terrorists. The last thing we need in Liverpool are politicians who try and pander to the far right.

So go back to Salford, Ms Blears. Liverpool doesn't want your sort of politics.

Cllr Andrew Makinson, Picton Ward

MIPIM challenge

REGARDING the Cannes MIPIM International Property Investment Festival and the statement by the city council chief executive that this year’s trip, with the biggest ever delegation, was being viewed as successful by both the public and private sector attendees.

With such a successful trip, I am sure the chief executive would be pleased to inform the public, via the Daily Post, of a breakdown of the total cost to the city, how many public sector employees attended and for how long. I assume the private sector attendees’ costs were not subsidised by the city council.

I am sure the chief executive would be pleased to publish, perhaps in six months, via the Daily Post, just how much inward investment has happened as a result of the festival, especially the one worth hundreds of millions which he quoted.

George Powell, West Derby

Limit on bikes

IT HAS been reported that the annual Wirral Egg Run achieved a record attendance of 7,000 bikers. This is an outstanding support for a local charity and as an ex-motorcyclist an enjoyable way to visit various parts of the Wirral. However, I have concerns about allowing this number of bikes to attend – and I know this has been a concern of the police on a previous occasion.

In line with probably other residents across Wirral where the route taken by the Egg Run travels, the time taken for this number of bikes to pass a given junction is considerable. In Thornton Hough village the route passes the entrance to an estate of 240 residents, where they are in effect trapped for the period it takes for the bikers to pass.

I think that a limit to the number of bikes allowed to participate should be enforced, those that are not drawn in a ballot could donate a pound to the charity perhaps. The route should also be revised to avoid the situation as in Thornton Hough.

I do not wish to be a killjoy, but some consideration should be given to non-active bikers.

Allan Guy, Thornton Hough

Points above results

IT IS nonsense to suggest that Andy Burnham said that government funding depends on which party controls the council. He was making the point that a good Labour local authority (like Manchester) is focused on maximising the good that can be done locally from using government initiatives properly to improve the city.

In stark contrast, Liverpool City Council, controlled by the squabbling Lib-Dem administration, is more interested in making political points than achieving results. Their refusal to properly follow up their request for capitalisation is a case in point. This has nothing to do with the political party in charge and everything to do with the competence of that administration.

We only have to read the recent audit commission report to see that we have the worst council in the country. This is something that the voters of Liverpool can change on May 1.

Maria Eagle, Labour Member of Parliament for Liverpool, Garston

Negative politics

IN THIS our Capital of Culture year I have to ask what planet Warren Bradley and his party are on?

I have received two leaflets through my door in recent weeks. Firstly, a leaflet mentioning the appalling murder of young Rhys Jones, which somehow attempted to link this terrible tragedy to the government’s funding of the 2012 Olympics in London.

My second communication from the Lib-Dems was a leaflet stuffed full of negative politics and wholly unnecessary personal remarks about another councillor. Does Bradley think this sort of stuff engages the voters? Is he proud that after 10 years of the Lib-Dems, they have nothing positive to say about their own administration and have to rely on attacks on others.

G Pinnington, Croxteth Park

We deserve better

FOLLOWING the comments from Andy Burnham on Friday at a business breakfast private sector, it is now official that this Labour government has deliberately let Liverpool down.

Liverpool people deserve much better; to treat us with the utter contempt that Andy Burnham did is appalling. And as for Hazel Blears saying Liverpool is their number one target, be warned, they irreparably damaged our city 10 years ago, please don’t let them back.

Pamela Holland, via email

Condemning herself

HEATHER MILLS really is her own worst enemy. Nothing that the press can write about her can condemn her any more than her own behaviour. She came out of the divorce hearing and ranted and raved, while Paul maintained a dignified silence. I know which I prefer.

H Jones, Whiston