01/10/05

The Liberal Democrats' shaky leader looked back at a massive missed opportunity and the prospect of where do we go from here. Labour appear to be in no rush to ditch a leader who is massively unpopular due to the Iraq war, and has undermined his own authority by stating he wishes to step down.

This coming Tory party conference will be dominated by a leader who wants to quit triggering a dirty leadership campaign between another unrecognisable character and a well known party member whose beliefs seem at odds with the party he will probably go on to lead. We surely need a break from these three big parties whose time has surely been and gone. - Mark Anderson, Middleton St George.

HURWORTH SCHOOL

ONCE again Darlington Council is hiding behind a "spokesman" to put out its increasingly incredulous comments (Echo, Sept 28).

Whatever happened to accountability in public office? The principal councillors behind the proposals are obviously not keen to have their names associated with such comments made in the Echo.

The spokesman says that "the new buildings will make a difference because we are giving teachers and pupils a good environment".

On how many counts can they be wrong in just one sentence?

There are numerous examples of schools failing despite huge investment in buildings and infrastructure. For evidence of this, look no further than the report published by Newcastle University.

A good environment? Of course we all want a good environment for our children: how about a 650 pupil school, in a pleasant rural location, as opposed to a semi-industrial site, in an already congested area of the town, with all the safety implications that this implies?

We hear that the staff are "100 per cent behind the proposals" yet have not apparently been given the freedom to discuss them in public.

Rest assured if these preposterous proposals go ahead, many of those children who would otherwise attend Hurworth will not be attending the new school, leaving it a huge white elephant and a monument to a council that proved unaccountable to its electorate. - Ian Holme, Hurworth.

SAD DAY

MONDAY, September 19 should go down as the day democracy died in Darlington: despite the people of Darlington petitioning our council saying that they did not want the town centre pedestrianised, our autocratic leaders went ahead and did it anyway.

Nobody wanted to see the back of the White Horse but our council gives permission for more homes to be built up there anyway.

The town's taxi drivers did not want the PSV driving test, the council forced it upon them anyway.

It has been bad enough this last few years or so watching virtually every bit of green belt land in Darlington getting concrete plonked on it.

Whole housing estates built in what was once our proud countryside and then our dictatorial leaders having the cheek to boast that they have created the first new park in Darlington for 100 years.

But the constant bullying of the Hackney carriage taxi trade has gone beyond a joke. Many taxi drivers have recently paid £333 for the privilege of sitting on the town's ranks. However, with the stupid changes recently made, the taxi trade has lost almost 50 per cent of its rank space.

As a Hackney carriage driver myself, I am getting pretty peeved with Darlington Borough Council. - Gavin Ellis, Darlington.

FIREARMS UNITS

I DON'T know which planet E Turnbull is on when he quotes that hiring ex-soldiers to the firearms units is a retrograde step (HAS, Sept 28).

In view of the current record of police firearms units, they have not exactly got a shining example of their conduct. The latest fiasco was when they managed to pump a full magazine into an innocent Brazilian who was held on the floor of a tube train by one of their colleagues, and immediately afterwards tried to cover it up.

The previous fiasco was when, acting on information, they managed to shoot and kill an Irishman who had had a few drinks and was on his way home carrying a table leg under his arm.

When the firearms members are investigated their colleagues threaten to hand their authorisations in. This is nothing more than a crude blackmail attempt reminiscent of the good old days of trade unionism.

As an ex-servicemen of 23 years standing, I know who I would trust with a loaded weapon on the streets of this country and it is not a relatively inexperienced policeman. - Jim S Hamer, Darlington.

REMEMBER THEM

THIS year there have been a series of momentous commemorations for ex-servicemen, women and civilians. So as the traditional time for remembrance approaches, I would remind readers that support for those from the services and their families is available from SSAFA (the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association) Forces Help.

It is important that we pause to remember the men and women from the Cleveland area who made sacrifices for their country in the 1940s who may have more recently fallen on hard times.

The work of SSAFA Forces Help Cleveland Branch is carried out in confidence by friendly, trained volunteer caseworkers who visit people in their homes. They assist those in need in a number of ways, for example they can check whether people are getting the benefits they are entitled to. A caseworker can often help to alleviate these difficulties themselves or through working with other organisations.

Last year Cleveland SSAFA Forces Help assisted over 700 people from the local community. We also assist National Service men, their wives and widows and younger generations of service personnel and their families. Sadly, since 1945, the need for British services abroad has not relinquished completely and to this day our welfare work continues.

To contact the Cleveland Branch of SSAFA Forces Help please call( 01642) 217440. The telephone line is open from 10am to noon, Monday to Friday. - Alan Crosskill, Branch PRO.

AIRPORT NAME

ONE year on and Christopher Wardell is still trying to come to terms with our local airport's name change (HAS, Sept 28).

He refers to the Echo (Sept 20) for his latest moan. If I am correct this was about the road signs offering directions to the airport. Unfortunately these have taken rather longer to change than first envisaged.

However, as the increasing amount of passengers using the airport has proved this year, it has not been a real problem.

People know where the airport is, whatever it's called, and have flocked there in their thousands.

Whether you agree with it or not Mr Wardell, the name Durham Tees Valley Airport is here to stay, so accept it. By the way, the new airport at Doncaster is called Robin Hood airport. I always thought he came from the Nottingham area. Now there is something for you to complain about. - P Wells, Shildon.