Hear All Sides

MARGARET THATCHER

NEIL Simmons has produced a fine, striking marble statue of Margaret Thatcher - handbag and all.

The remarks made at the unveiling by Tony Banks, Labour chairman of the Commons Works of Art Committee, were only to be expected. Of course, he would not admit to any admiration of Mrs Thatcher's policies or character, but, on such an occasion, perhaps he could have been a bit more gracious.

The fashionable, even, you might say, politically-correct thing to do these days is to run down Mrs Thatcher.

How short people's political memories can be. In her heyday, before the daggers came out, this country thrived for a number of years under Mrs Thatcher's leadership. The vast majority of people voted for her - she did win elections and there was a sense of pride and respect for the way in which she led our country.

Then things turned sour. All that was good was suddenly tossed aside and forgotten, and all that was bad was howled from the rooftops and still is.

Our present Prime Minister is enjoying very similar popularity as that afforded Mrs Thatcher in her day. Perhaps he had better prepare for the tide to turn against him and the knives to be sharpened. - EA Moralee, Billingham.

POSTAL SERVICE

WHY is there so much controversy over what time in the day letters are delivered? After all, the post collection, sorting and delivery, is a 24-hour job.

Many other workers, such as those in hospitals, electricity supply, police, fire brigades, work 24 hours, and newspapers work during the night to ensure that the morning papers are in the shops in the early hours of the morning. If they were not, they would not sell and the business would fold.

Well, is it not time that the Post Office realised that now there are other ways of corresponding, ie through e-mail and computers? - E Reynolds, Wheatley Hill.

GUN CONTROL

WITH airgun sales reaching record levels in the last few months, it is clear that shooting sports are becoming more popular than ever.

However, it is essential that every airgun owner, and the parents of younger enthusiasts, make sure that airguns are used safely, legally and responsibly. The British Association for Shooting and Conservation, as the representative body for sporting shooting, has begun a national airgun safety campaign with the support of the Association of Chief Police Officers.

BASC is offering airgun users a special membership category which will offer £5m of insurance and the opportunity for training in the safe handling and use of airguns.

This is backed up by a code of practice produced with the police. No one should shoot without being trained in safety and without holding adequate insurance. Sporting shooting is an excellent way to teach children responsibility for their own actions, discipline and respect for the countryside. - Simon Clarke, Press Officer, The British Association for Shooting and Conservation.

MIDDLE EAST

W COLLINSON'S letter on the Middle East (HAS, Jan 28) appeared to be blaming America for the whole situation there.

Why does he imply the Jews were dispossessed from Christian countries? Jews are Middle Eastern people who originally had land in what was Canaan and who were driven out from there in AD100 when they rebelled against Roman rule. That is when they were dispossessed and America did not exist at that time.

Why blame America and Christians, Mr Collinson?

It was the United Kingdom which voted for the Jews to return to their land in 1947. It was a vote of all nations, not just America, and, having voted Israel into existence, again it was the responsibility of the UN to safeguard it.

The UN is guilty of a dereliction of duty in this matter. Perhaps Mr Collinson would like to see the Jews dispossessed again of their land, which will happen if they do not have any protection.

In addition, many nations sell arms all over the world, singling out America again is unfair. - James Bell, Darlington.

THE EURO

AS a life-long Labour supporter, I will say, without a doubt, once Tony Blair gets the euro into this country, it means the Germans, etc have taken this country without a shot being fired.

I had friends and relations who gave their lives to keep the best country in the world British.

Mr Blair has done more damage to this country than any politician in the last 50 years. He and his cronies got their votes under false pretences. I hope all Labour voters see the light at this next election. - Ralph Hedley, Bishop Auckland.

I REALLY wonder why some people don't want to use the same sort of money (coins and notes) as most of mainland Europe. Trading or buying and selling with a common currency, which has the same value everywhere, is basically what joining the euro means.

It is not going to take away the British identity or mean that we will be run from Brussels. We will still be in control of our own laws, our own taxes, our own government.

What a common currency will do is allow British business to work more efficiently (easier and cheaper).

There will be none of the complicated exchange rate calculations. As 60 per cent of British trade is with Europe (more in the North-East) that sound like good housekeeping to me.

This also makes common sense when products made up of parts from several European countries, like cars, are competing in world markets.

Thirty years ago we moved from decimal to metric because we were out of step. If Britain does not join in with the euro, soon we will once more be isolated. That simply means job losses - something none of us wants. - Muriel Green, Whitley Bay.