01/05/05

Are you prepared for all the information held on all government computers about you to be cross checked?

Do you want to be obliged to produce your ID card for every minor transaction for the rest of your life?

For be assured, once these things exist, every commercial organisation will jump on the bandwagon of making you show it. And none of the million bureaucrats who run this country will ever want to give them up.

In ten years' time, despite the expense and inconvenience to every Northern Echo reader, these odious documents will be compulsory. They won't stop terrorist outrages - they didn't in Madrid. They won't stop crime. They'll only create new ones.

And if you lose your card or it's stolen, you will immediately become a non-person. You'll get nothing from the almighty State, and probably won't even be able to draw your own money out of the bank. Write to your MP to protest before you lose more liberties forever. - Robin Ashby, Newcastle.

I WENT to a motorist discount store the other day to buy some adhesive numbers to update my trailer lighting board to my new car number.

They do not sell them now. A proper number plate has to be bought. (Government legislation). This can be made up provided I produced my Vehicle Registration Document and some personal identity.

Unable to find my driver's licence I thought a passport would suffice. Not good enough. "Did I have a utilities bill with me?" No.

This passport, which displays my photograph and allows me into countries all over the world issued by Her Britannic Majesty, is insufficient proof of identity to buy a number plate for my trailer.

This is not a fault of the motorist discount shops. It is a government regulation.

A couple of days later, withdrawing money from a closed account at my bank, I was asked to take identification with me. Would a passport suffice? "Certainly."

When the new identity cards become compulsory will I have to carry a phone bill as well? - Barry Wood, Edmonsley.

RURAL SHOPS

THE term 'ghost town Britain' has been used recently to describe the effects of supermarkets sucking away the life blood from our once thriving community shops.

In rural locations the situation is acute. Four years ago the Countryside Agency reported that seven out of ten English villages no longer have a local shop. Since then, village stores have closed at the rate of up to 300 every year. To make matters worse, last month it was announced that large numbers of sub-post offices will also close.

Having killed off our traditional small shops, the supermarket chains are now moving into the vacuum and establishing convenience stores of their own. This may at face value sound good but researchers have shown that prices in the new corporate convenience shops are up to seven per cent higher than in the larger format supermarkets.

One supermarket announced last week that it was pocketing £1 out of every £8 spent at its check-outs. A profit that any small shopkeeper would be very envious of.

The small traditional community friendly shops have been squeezed out of existence for no benefit other than that of multi-international share holders. Such is progress. - Peter Troy, Federation of Small Businesses.

POSTAL SERVICES

AFTER the millions of pounds lost by the crass name Consignia, the PO now disguises enormous price rises by a cynical 'postal charges reappraisal' based on size, not weight.

Countries in the Universal Postal Union (established 1874 following Great Britain's lead), assess postage on weight. Sensibly run national POs know costs are approximately proportionate to weight/volume.

Great Britain's four-penny 1839 trials, Uniform Penny Post 1840, and our first stamp concept the Penny Black all assumed this self-evident truth.

After a respectable interval of time, PO policy will be reversed, and lessons learnt - but with further price increases accompanying. - DD Turner, President, Sunderland Philatelic Society.

Darlington FC

I ADMIRE Duncan Bannatyne for his honesty, on not wanting to help out Darlington Football Club financially (Business Echo, Apr 27).

However, to suggest that a town like Darlington does not need a professional football club borders on the insane.

Just ask the residents of similar sized towns like Stockton, if they would like a professional club in their town or not.

Let him stick to building pulse suites and acting, while the people of Darlington stick to saving the plight of their beloved football club with David Hodgson.

At least that way no one at the club would have to undergo a sex change to keep their new owner happy. - Christopher Wardell, Darlington.

ENGLISHWOMEN

CHRIS Williamson (HAS, Apr 27) rightly reminds us of the contribution Englishwomen have made to England, but why does she use the queen of a Celtic tribe as an example?

Whilst Boudicca is a great example of female empowerment, not only was she not English, but during the 1st century AD the English were still in Northern Germany, where they remained until their invasion of Britain in the 5th century AD.

Equally, during the 1st century AD, England did not exist. In fact England did not come into being until around 730AD during the time of Alfred the Great, the first King of England. - Helen Smith, Spennymoor.

RELIGION

TREVOR Phillips (HAS, Apr22) thinks I blame Westerners for all the ills of the planet. I do not.

I blame colonialism, imperialism, extreme nationalism, selfishness and greed. I also blame political, religious and racial intolerance and bigotry. Christians, Muslims, Jews, atheists and others have all been guilty.

Nevertheless, I recognise that there are millions of good people of all religious persuasions whose compassion and sense of justice stem from their faith, and there is much wisdom to be found in both the Bible and the Koran. - Pete Winstanley, Durham.