Letters

THE Prime Minister's announcement that there will be a referendum on the euro within two years of the election (Echo, Feb 8) tells us what we are aiming for. It gives us a strategic planning horizon and gives the certainty that has been required.

It is right that the matter is settled by a referendum if the economic conditions have been met early in the next Parliament so that the people of this country can choose on one of the most important issues facing them.

It is also excellent news from a business perspective. The biggest problem business faces is uncertainty, but now it has a timetable to work from.

To rule out the single currency before an assessment of the tests have been made would be a mistake. The recent decision by Nissan to build the Micra at its Sunderland plant came because this country has kept the option to join the single currency, while other firms such as Corus have announced job losses because of the currency volatility they face between the pound and the euro. - Nick Milligan, Regional Organiser, European Movement in the North-East.

IN the mid-1970s when the Labour Party had run out of ideas, it seized on the idea of opposing our being in Europe as a way of winning the election.

It didn't work.

Now it is the Tory Party that has run out of ideas - except the usual ones of "hang 'em, flog 'em and ban 'em'. The Tories are opposing the Euro and European ideals. They are doing this because they think it will win them the next Election. It won't.

After the song and dance of the elections and the referendum are over we will still be in a Europe, with whom we share a multi-faceted culture, and we must help make it work. - Peter Freitag, President, Darlington Liberal Democrats.

THE UK Independence Party official's letter (HAS, Feb 12) said that millions suffered and gave their lives for the sake of our independence.

That of course is true - but then he comments on the question of tying our currency to the euro that "only an idiot does not learn from their mistakes".

What he forgets is that the greatest mistakes, which the EU is designed to make impossible, were allowing ourselves to drift into two European wars in the last century. Our friends in Europe have learned from those mistakes, as have all but the lunatic fringe in Britain.

Constructive debate about whether or not to join the Euro-zone is to be welcomed. But it should not be confused by hysterical calls to go back to the age-old antagonism between European nations, caused by mutual ignorance (so outstandingly demonstrated by the UK Independence Party), which is gradually being eliminated by the European Union. - John Hawgood, Durham.

WINTER FUEL

THE Labour Party makes great play on the £50 increase in Winter Fuel payments. I wonder how many people know Labour is committed to reducing the Payment by £50 next year.

Personally I would rather have an increase in basic state pension. In this way any increase cannot be taken away. The Conservative policy of increasing the basic pension makes clear that tax allowances would be raised in line with the pension increase, so no pensioner will pay more tax as a result. - S Johnson, Chairman, Darlington Conservative Associaton.

DAD AT LARGE

HAVING read your stories of how us dads try (always without success) to be heroes, here's a little story that knocks your tales of chickens and rabbits into a cocked hat.

A week ago, Shaun Thompson, an off-duty fire-fighter from Bishop Auckland, was taking his small son Jack home from school, when he noticed a young girl standing at her door crying. He saw smoke coming from the bedroom window.

He turned the car around and went back and, as he got out of the car, he said to Jack: "Stay there and do not move."

The girl told Shaun that her dad was in the house so he went in, made his way to the bedroom, which was heavily smoke-logged, found the girl's dad, and brought him downstairs.

As Shaun was phoning for the fire brigade, the man muttered something about a passport then ran back upstairs. Shaun followed, but by this time the room was well alight, he finally found him and dragged him out again.

The fire brigade arrived and, as Shaun walked back to the car, there was Jack, his face flat against the window with his mouth wide open.

Shaun got in the car and said: "Close your mouth, son", but Jack just looked at him and eventually said: "Aw Dad, that was brilliant."

All that night Jack just stared at his dad, and the next day as Shaun took him to school, he rushed into the playground to tell his friends about his hero dad.

As Shaun was walking away all he could see was Jack and his friends watching him with their mouths wide open.

As I said, tales of chickens, rabbits and trying to play football just doesn't come close. We all think that from now on Shaun Thompson, in the eyes of Jack, has got it made. - R Bainbridge, Crook.

AS a fire officer (years ago) I went to a school to carry out a fire prevention inspection and found a little boy in the school yard crying.

I asked him what was the matter and he said he was late and was frightened to go in and frightened to go home. I asked him if he would go in if I took him and he nodded his head.

So I took his hand and headed off to the Boys' entrance but he dragged me back and said: "I don't go in there." So I said: "Well, you don't go in the Girls', so where do we go?" And he pointed to another door and said: "In there, I am a Mixed Infant!" - E Reynolds, Wheatley Hill.