Letters

IT has to be said that the MP for Darlington is displaying the same arrogance of which he and Tony Blair accused the previous administration.

In my travels, there is a sense of betrayal felt by the people of Darlington where their interests have not been looked after by the sitting MP Alan Milburn. The loss of 500 jobs at Rothmans due to the EU decision means the UK has no legislative powers left to look after its own interests. New Labour should be looking after British interests, yet it seems to be a case of "lie down Mr Blair and company, Mr Prodi wishes to cross the road".

I was one of these people who unfortunately believed that Mr Blair would make a difference.

In the run up to the next election, we must not allow ourselves to be taken in again. - Colin Telfer, Darlington.

ONCE again we are being told by faceless European bureaucrats that we have to do what they say.

We have to stop exporting full strength cigarettes to non-European countries meaning that Darlington and possibly other towns will lose hundreds of jobs.

Not one cigarette less will be smoked because the cigarette companies will just move outside Europe, so all that will happen is that England will lose more jobs. Where is the sense in this?

Going from my own experience of low tar cigarettes, I found that because I use clear plastic filters, I was using far more filters with so-called low tar cigarettes than I was with full strength cigarettes. So I would like to know what scientific proof there is that the so-called light cigarettes are in fact lower in tar than full strength ones, as personal experience has proved otherwise. - B Tingate, Darlington.

EUROPEAN ARMY

PETER Mullen (Echo, Dec 12) suggests even after the horrors inflicted during the Second World War there is a need for reconciliation.

Where his argument lacks substance is the lack of the many reasons why such calamities are allowed to happen in the first place.

While we have a strong Nato and the backing of America we can be assured of a secure future, but can we always rely on one nation across the other side of the Atlantic.

The last war could have been averted if we had not been so keen to disarm, while ignoring what was going on in Nazi Germany and the Far East.

The British nation, it seems, is quite prepared to let the Americans fight its battles for it, so that it can live the good life and worry about tomorrow another time.

As you say Mr Mullen, we could be heading for the abyss, but it has more to do with a Europe ignoring the consequence of relying too much on the systems of its allies and not enough being done to shore up its own defence.

It is nice to believe we are doing quite nicely as it is, so why change it. It is equally foolish to ignore our weakness, which will one day be our downfall. I only hope I won't be around the day it happens. - John Young, Crook.

CROOK PARTNERSHIP

THE Crook Community Partnership is a voluntary organisation made up of residents of Crook, and during the past 12 months it has gone through a period of reorganisation.

Our first major venture was the putting on of a display of Christmas lights in the town centre. This is the first time Crook has had such a display, and since the lights were switched on, the response of the public has been very positive and supportive.

We were very grateful for the way in which The Northern Echo publicised our plans, so in thanking you for this, may we use the Echo to convey our thanks to those who made it possible.

A total of 27 traders and groups in the town made financial contributions which enabled us to access other funding from the district council. We greatly appreciated their support.

We hope to build on our achievements in future years, and if we receive the kind of support that we have experienced this year we look forward with optimism to future displays. - David F Neil, Secretary, Crook Community Partnership.

FIREWORKS

AS we approach the festive season, may I take this opportunity to appeal to readers who may be planning to make their parties go with a bang with a firework display.

Fireworks can be fun - but used thoughtlessly can cause trauma to many animals and, in particular, to guide dogs and their owners.

It is a sad fact that through the irresponsible misuse of fireworks many of our guide dogs tremble with fear at the sound of firecrackers. We have even had to retire or retrain dogs as a result of the fright they have suffered. Guide dogs occupy an important place in the lives of blind or partially-sighted people and currently nearly 5,000 guide dog owners enjoy the freedom they provide.

While we would not wish to be party killjoys, we would like everyone who is letting off fireworks to act responsibly and be sensitive to the effect they can have on animals. - Geraldine Peacock, Chief Executive, The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, Reading.

CHILD POVERTY

AS we approach the first Christmas of this new millennium, and as we witness the excitement of children who await this magical season, our thoughts often turn to the situation of less fortunate children around the world.

In its annual report, The State of the World's Children 2001, UNICEF argues that for every child everywhere, nothing is more important than the first three years of life.

This is why UNICEF is calling for a turnabout in the way those first three years are treated.

Economically, it is a sound investment. For every one dollar spent on early childhood development there is a seven dollars return through cost savings in health and remedial education later in life, as children are less likely to suffer from illnesses, need extra help at school or drop out altogether.

UNICEF's State of the World's Children 2001 calls on individuals from governments, international agencies and donors to fund early childhood care in all societies. The future of a nation is directly linked to the future of its children.

- Louis Coles, Regional Officer, UNICEF North-East.