Hear All Sides

EUROPE

IN his profile of Michael Portillo (Echo, June 14), Simon Page is mistaken to describe those of us with so called anti-Europe views as Little Englanders and xenophobic.

Those of us opposed to Britain's continued membership of the European Union are not anti-Europe. We are anti the European Union, a fundamental difference.

The definition of xenophobia, according to my dictionary, is a dislike, hatred, fear of strangers or aliens. Opposition to Britain's continued membership of the EU is not based on any fascist xenophobic view of life but on the simple principle of preferring to be governed by democratically-elected politicians rather than unaccountable bureaucrats whose decisions are rubber-stamped by a sham of a European Parliament.

The description Little Englander assumes an insular thinking. In fact, one of the primary objections to the control imposed by the European Union is that is severely restricts the UK ability to trade with the rest of the world.

I suggest that Mr Page uses the term Euro Realist to those of us (and we are many) who believe that the only way this country can prosper is by being an independent self-governing nation state. - Peter Troy, Maunby, North Yorkshire.

THE people of Ireland have voted to reject the Treaty of Nice. Good for them. At least they had the treaty, and the consequences of having their Prime Minister sign on their behalf, fully explained to them.

Because they understood the drastic, irrevocable changes it would make to their national freedom, they have refused to say yes, despite all the urgings of Europe and their leaders.

What a pity that we, the people of Britain, have not been afforded the same right to be thoroughly informed and then asked by our Prime Minister if we wish him to sign away yet more of our nation's sovereignty.

Your editorial on the pound or euro (Echo, June 11) was quite correct and timely. The sooner a referendum is held the better. No more putting things off in the hopes that certain criterion is met or huge publicity campaign mounted to swing the vote.

There is no need for a craftily-loaded question to be composed for the ballot paper, just a simple euro Yes or No is all that is necessary.

Come on Mr Blair, it could all be done and dusted in a few short weeks if you really wanted it to be, then we'd know exactly where we stand as a country on the matter. That must be what's best for trade, industry and everything else. - EA Moralee, Billingham.

WITCHCRAFT

YOUR irresponsible story concerning witchcraft needs answering (Echo, June 14). It does not paint a balanced enough picture.

For let there be no doubt, witchcraft, about which you have no warnings for your readers, sadly harms as many people as it cures, if not more.

The white witch can employ strange paranormal forces to weave his ritual and magic, just as the black witch does; the difference between them is one of degree, not of kind.

Witchcraft is a fickle practice we should have no time for.

It has been easy for men like Steve Jones to step into our lives, and tell us that Jesus Christ teaches us nothing. But God is not mocked. The nature of things is such that people will once again see witchcraft for what it is and try to fight and destroy it. - Andrew Lightfoot, Bridlington.

SCHOOLS INVESTMENT

WHAT great news that Geoff Pennington, Darlington's Director of Education, is submitting a business case to replace Beaumont Hill special school and Harrowgate Hill Infant School and refurbish Haughton Community School and Springfield Primary School with a bid for £10m in extra funding (Echo, June 13). I can only wish them success.

Perhaps the same Mr Pennington could notify the parents of Alderman Leach Primary School when the plans and money will be available to build the new school he promised them during his successful campaign to amalgamate the junior and infant schools in September last year.

Or have the financial savings already produced from staff cuts, etc, brought about by amalgamation meant that Alderman Leach has served its purpose? - CM Kane, Darlington.

FOOTBALL STADIUM

AFTER reading your letter (HAS, June 13) about naming Darlington's new football ground, I have to agree that Gordon Soulsby was one of the nicest men you could ever meet anywhere.

He was a fanatical Darlo supporter who travelled all over the country to watch Darlo. A true supporter in every sense of the world.

Maybe, part of the stadium could be named after Gordon, the family stand or the away part of the ground as Gordon loved to travel to away games on the coach and he is very sadly missed as a friend and a fellow supporter.

George Reynolds would be doing the late Gordon Soulsby a great honour by using his name as part of the future of Darlington football club. - Paul and Adam Harker, Darlington.

LAW AND ORDER

THE biblical expression, an eye for an eye, may still have some relevance today, since we have the highest crime rate in Europe.

It seems the punishment given to criminals is not working, only the victims suffer.

So why not try out a real crime squad where a group is authorised to do to the criminal what the criminal has inflicted on his victim - a housebreaker would find his house had been burgled (quite legally), a mugger being mugged himself, a car thief having his car stolen.

In one state in America, a court could award a victim of crime a licence to carry out the same crime that the criminal had carried out on him.

One housebreaker was shattered when, three years after burgling a neighbour, his own house was quite legally broken into by his victim and all his protests for justice were laughed at. - E Reynolds, Wheatley Hill.