Letters

IN the light of the continuing problems over the lack of stability in the exchange rate which has led to the crisis at Corus, I call on Tony Blair to accept the advice of the Liberal Democrats and John Monks (Trades Union Congress) and affirm that a referendum on the euro will be an early pledge in his manifesto for the next election. - Stan Wilson, Liberal Democrat PPC, Redcar.

TOWN CENTRES

I WOULD point out to Fiona McNish (HAS, Feb 3) that Britain has not overnight seen the move to a one-stop shopping experience, ie out of town retail parks or in-town buy everything supermarkets.

A free market approach to business has been the norm for most shades of political party for years.

To blame one political party for the rundown of any town centre is cheap press copy and claptrap.

Who in Britain does not fill up their trolley and leave the high street to its own struggle?

Talk is indeed cheap from a prospective Conservative candidate. - D Wilson, Spennymoor.

NUCLEAR WASTE

IN the interests of fair play and responsible journalism, may I correct the impression given in your report, Nuclear Waste site 'false rumours' (Echo, Feb 5) that Teesside Green Party is engaging in scaremongering.

The report we issued makes clear reference to a consultative green paper which sets out the Government's proposals on nuclear waste and, in particular, on what it intends to do with the growing stockpile of plutonium. Publication of this document has been delayed on direct orders from Downing Street until after the General Election.

The Environment Minister, Michael Meacher, is reported to have declared this delay in publication as "an abdication of responsibility".

Given that plutonium, an extremely dangerous radioactive substance, will have to be stored in a deep cavern depository, Teesside Green Party agrees with the Environment Minister and believes the people have a right to know where the proposed site will be.

Another possible Government proposal could be to commercialise plutonium as a fuel for nuclear reactors. This would mean an expansion of the nuclear industry and could lead to a new arms race.

Green Party policy is to accept the dump option but only away from centres of population and only in tandem with the decommissioning of the nuclear industry in favour of renewable energy sources such as wind power. The article as presented was misleading, and lost sight of the real problem. - B Wennington, Billingham.

PETER MANDELSON

SO Peter Mandelson states (Echo, Feb 3) that the announcement that Arthur Scargill is to contest the Hartlepool constituency on behalf of the Socialist Labour Party is the first bit of good news he has had for a while. If he saw the people of Hartlepool being interviewed on local television following the announcement, he would realise that they also saw the announcement as good news.

They did so in the context that it gives them an opportunity of getting rid of the Prince of Darkness and electing a Socialist.

Mr Mandelson's comments on Mr Scargill's involvement in the miners' strike need also to be placed in context. On more recent events than the miners' strike, Mr Mandelson has been shown to have serious memory loss. How then are we to take seriously any comment he makes about the working class history of any period?

Mr Mandelson's life amongst the rich and powerful removed him from the reality of the life of the ordinary working people of Hartlepool and the North-East in general.

The really good news could come on Election day, but that is up to the people of Hartlepool. - Brian Gibson, Socialist Labour Party.

I BELIEVE that the media has tried and delivered its verdict before Peter Mandelson has been allowed to state his case before the independent inquiry.

I also question how Parliament and the media can be so hypocritical over the issue. Back in 1984 when it suited the Government of the day and also the media of the day, a certain white South African girl called Zola Budd was allowed to have a British passport nine days after the application was received.

The reason being given we were hoping she would win a gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympic Games. She was even sponsored by one of the daily tabloids.

This was at the time when the South African Government was still practising apartheid. A little bit of hypocrisy here, I think. - L Hart, Darlington.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

YOUR assertion that Middlesbrough has made a U-turn in terms of its commitment to green transport (Echo, Feb 5) could not be further from the truth.

The council is committed to finding sustainable and practical solutions to the wide range of transport issues facing the town and local neighbourhoods.

That commitment is underlined clearly stated in our Local Transport Plan. The issue of bus lanes is merely one aspect of a number of measures which can be introduced on a transport corridor to widen travel choice, reduce congestion and improve road safety. The council has recently been successful in bidding for finance to appointment of transport travel plan co-ordinators who ensure that environmentally-sustainable transport proposals are available to all major developments and schools. One of their key aims will be to improve access to public transport in disadvantaged neighbourhoods to help job-seekers.

We are also examining a range of green measures in a newly-commissioned study on the road infrastructure in east Middlesbrough.

In creating a framework for sustainable transport in the town, we will always be sensitive to local factors. In some cases a particular option - such as bus lanes - may not be suitable. But green transport will remain central to all our plans for the environment and economic regeneration. - Councillor Ken Walker, Leader of the Council, Chair of the Cabinet, Middlesbrough Borough Council.