10/03/03

He should bear in mind the fact that England is only 500 miles long and 200 miles wide, is already one of the most over-populated countries on earth, does not have enough land to feed its own people and must import one third of its food, and is having to build houses on farmland, something which would not be necessary if it were not for immigration.

We do not have enough room for ourselves, let alone a flood of foreigners who need houses, roads, schools etc on land we have not got.

This woman is from Africa, the biggest country in the world, much of which is under-populated and contains huge tracts of wide open spaces. - JL Harrison, East Boldon.

EMPLOYMENT

BT is planning to move Directory Enquiries abroad, with the loss of hundreds of British jobs. This is globalisation.

I wouldn't begrudge an Indian a job. They are God's creatures, and just as efficient as we are.

The big bankers rule the world, along with the big industrialists. They closed the mills in Blackburn, Bradford and Burnley, which were mostly manned by Asian labour, and open up mills in Indonesia, where labour is cheaper, and retail their products back in the West, at an enormous profit.

That's capitalism. They keep the Third World poor for just this reason. - Jim Ross, Rowlands Gill.

PHONE MAST

I WOULD like to express my concern at the application for planning permission to build a mobile phone mast between the villages of Croxdale and Tudhoe.

I am relieved that the inhabitants of the two villages have decided to oppose these plans.

Firstly, there are legitimate concerns about the alleged health risks arising from these masts such as cancer and also yet another mast will ruin the landscape already cluttered with pylons. - Martin Jones, Spennymoor Liberal Democrats.

Weardale

I WORKED at Blue Circle Cement Works for 37 years and was a union convenor for 32 years.

The memories of having to console worried workers, yet keep their spirits up, will remain with me for many years to come. I remember well the discussions that happened with various agencies promising jobs for Weardale, supposedly to try to quell the tide of criticism against a company selling a community down the river.

At that time, I said that we would have to see if these guarantees of sustainable jobs turned out to be hollow promises.

Now, seven months down the line, thousands of pounds have been spent in consultancy fees, funding what amounts to nothing more than ludicrous schemes rejected by local people who deserve better.

When one genuine local manufacturer has a workable proposal, he is ignored.

Can I remind these so-called, job creating agencies that 40 workers have had to relocate out of the area, sometimes with their families, sometimes separated from loved ones, to find work.

To these families and the whole Weardale community, all the talk of new jobs have proved to be hollow promises. - Billy Wilthew, Frosterley.

REGIONAL GOVERNMENT

WITH the consultation exercise regarding regional government now completed, it looks certain that John Prescott will forge ahead with a referendum on a North-East regional assembly.

Mr Prescott's blatant disregard for the democratic process has been an affront to our democracy, making clear more than a week before the soundings exercise was complete, that it was his intention to hold a referendum regardless of the results.

Mr Prescott and home rule supporters fail to realise that people are not interested in this issue. The regional assembly debate is failing to engage people in the region and after more than a decade of campaigning, Mr Prescott and his supporters have not only failed to present all the facts to the public, but they are failing to convince the public.

People across the North-East are aware that the costly, cumbersome and incoherent plans put forward by the Labour Government will not benefit the region. The assembly will not meet the needs of North-East people in providing new schools, hospitals and transportation. A regional assembly will lead to increased levels of interference and meddling in the lives of people across the region.

It would be more beneficial to the North-East to retain our existing structures of local government and increase their powers and responsibilities, rather than imposing another tier of government on the North-East.

The people of the North East do not want more politicians and more government, they want improved services and improved representation. To achieve that, we do not need a regional assembly. - Martin Callanan MEP Conservative; North-East.

WAR AGAINST IRAQ

I THINK one of the main reasons why George Bush is determined to topple Saddam Hussein is unfinished business.

After the Gulf War, with most of the world against him and the huge amount of damage and loss of life that he had caused, who could have imagined that he would be let off the hook?

Now with half the world against a war, other opinions and that of the UN are treated with sheer contempt by Tony Blair and President Bush.

Should America and Britain go to war against Iraq without a second UN resolution, the UN would lose all credibility.

To the victims of conflict in places like Sarajevo and Rwanda, the UN had already lost credibility years ago. - Douglas Punchard, Kirkbymoorside.