05/07/2004

It is precisely because the three northern regions (Yorkshire, the North West and the North-East) are overlooked by London that they have seized the opportunity for a referendum so gladly.

With the familiar news that the north-south divide is still growing (London has gained 1.7 million more jobs in the last decade whilst the North has lost 500,000) and that more jobs and skilled workers than ever are migrating south, the North-East needs an assembly to safeguard our economy.

A Regional Assembly will offer the opportunity to kick local politicians out of office rather than being stuck with the un-elected 'quangocracy' that currently runs the region.

What is more, regional government can offer a one-stop shop for business rather than the 250-plus organisations that currently make it difficult for small businesses to get the support and advice they need. A Regional Assembly will invest in our home-grown businesses.

At present, the North-East is missing out. Our regional priorities are overlooked by governments who concentrate on the south-east where most of its citizens live.

The powers that the Government is proposing may not be far reaching enough yet, but any opportunity to redress the current imbalance should be welcomed as a step in the right direction. - Jessica Cleghorn, Gosforth.

NEIGHBOURHOOD WARDENS

EARLIER this year Sedgefield Borough Council approved plans to re-designate Community Force into Neighbourhood Wardens.

The introduction of neighbourhood wardens under Neighbourhood Renewal funding at Dean Bank, Ferryhill and West Ward, Newton Aycliffe made a good start, providing increased community engagement and public reassurance in areas of greatest need.

The service is currently being extended across the borough.

As part of the proposal, the wardens will have the power to issue fixed penalty fines for littering and dog fowling; alongside their established role of dealing with anti-social behaviour and community reassurance.

Wardens will be community based and targeted in areas of greatest need.

Contrary to Mr Bridgett (HAS, June 19) and AM Whitlock (HAS, June 28) the council's warden service is about improving the quality of life for residents of Sedgefield Borough.

A recent report from the ODPM has confirmed that a number of Sedgefield Borough's community safety initiatives are good practice. - Councillor Malcolm Iveson, Sedgefield Borough Council.

PUBLIC SERVICES

THE Conservatives and New Labour are offering a choice of schools and hospitals if we vote for them.

Well, how about this for alternative policy suggestions? Why not bring schools and hospitals up to a standard where no choice is necessary?

What about affordable housing? Perhaps taking action on crime and drugs which does not involve "downgrading" or "reclassifying" anything?

What about a real future for the young by encouraging school leavers to learn a trade, instead of encouraging them onto worthless degree courses simply to increase student numbers?

What about allowing teachers to teach, police officers to police, without the interference of childish games from politicians?

More radically, what about politicians who support jobs staying in Britain, who do not take away people's civil, legal and human rights, whose work experience extends beyond the legal profession, who actually listens to the public and treats them as adults, whose decisions are based on the needs of the people and the nation, not tomorrow's headlines, party funding, egos, political correctness or political cowardice? - CT Riley, Spennymoor.

SEAGULLS

JUST for the record, the birds featured in the picture accompanying the letter headlined "seagulls" (HAS, Jul 1) were not gulls but terns - which belong to a different seabird family.

As it happens Common Terns nest on bare islands on inland lakes, as well as in coastal locations, but they have never nested on buildings in urban areas or anywhere else. - Brian Unwin (who writes the Birdwatch Column in 7Days).

SEX

RUTH Campbell (Echo, Jul 1) invites us to leave young people to get on with sex or not "as the case may be", but this negligence will do only if the influences on children are equal, which they are not.

Even before they are ten, girls are encouraged by glossy "junior" magazines to preen themselves for sex.

Such exploitation uses the fact that every individual grows up differently. Thus it is easy to sell everything from cosmetics (male as well as female) to expensive "advice lines" by getting youngsters worried about their bust size or about the fact that they may be "abnormal" for not being interested in precocious sex like some of their school mates.

I am not wholly in favour of the "Silver Ring Thing". It may promote even greater sexual pressures, with virginity as a restraint with the assumed reward of a "perfect marriage".

Many people, however, value virginity as something in its own right, regardless of sexual rewards. - E Turnbull, Gosforth.

ELECTIONS

THE recent elections were an organiser's nightmare. Far too many changes imposed at once, often with little notice and little regard for the practicalities, put immense strain on the electoral system and led to breakdowns in some part of the country.

The overriding consideration throughout was the advantage and objectives of the ruling party in central Government. Deservedly, the outcome nationally satisfied neither.

Abandoning the secret ballot with polling booths greatly increases the opportunity for fraud and improper influence. That is why the only safeguard against stolen votes, the declaration of identity, must be retained.

Hartlepool had all-out elections for the Borough Council with the largest field of candidates for many years. Boundary changes radically altered most wards and fragmented or abolished some of them.

The interval between May 12 when those nominated for each ward became known and the arrival of ballot papers on May 26 was absurdly short.

Combining elections about local and national issues can mean rough justice for local candidates. Some results had little to do with the worth of individual candidates.

All-postal voting substantially increased turnout but those concerned about local issues were often overwhelmed by electors who seldom bother to vote in local elections, voting this time on national issues.

Others, particularly elderly people, who vote regularly in local elections, abstained because they would not or could not cope with the paperwork.

The complication was chiefly created by combining national and local elections. If all-postal voting is repeated that should be avoided. - Councillor Arthur Preece, Hartlepool.