REVISION COURSES

IT was interesting to read that a Darlington school is offering revision courses to help GCSE students improve their exam results (Echo, Feb 17).

But even more interesting was the fact that the school is charging £275 plus VAT for the course while, at the same time, commenting on what County Durham schools may or may not be doing to help their students.

For the record, Durham County Council has run intensive residential revision courses at Easter for the last four years, catering for about 1,000 students at no cost to the students.

By keeping the course free of charge, GCSE achievement is not linked to your parents' ability to pay.

And County Durham schools that don't send students to the course are, invariably, putting on similar courses themselves for free. - Chris Carling, High 5's Revision Conference Manager, Durham Local Education Authority, Durham County Council.

DURHAM SUFFERS

THE voters said no. So what do John Prescott and the faceless civil servants decide to do, they decide to ignore the voters of the North-East and try to get regional government by stealth.

They are saying that a regional police force would be cheaper and more efficient - rubbish.

It would become a monstrous burden on the council tax payers and the so-called smaller areas of the North-East, such as Durham, would suffer as more and more control would be handed over to more and more councillors in Newcastle.

If you do not believe that would happen just look at the area called Tyne and Wear now.

Newcastle has the Gate, the redeveloped Quayside, the Eye and Gateshead has the Sage and the Baltic - all fantastic things. What does poor Sunderland have: nothing. Oh yes, they are trying to decide if a supermarket should be built. It is the poor relation.

You put on the North-East news: not only is it all about Newcastle, even the background pictures are all Newcastle areas.

Jobs that are now Durham's would be moved to the Newcastle area and be lost to the people of Durham forever. - Name and address supplied.

DARLINGTON FC

AT a time when we hear that Darlington Football Club could be up for sale again, maybe the people of Darlington should take a long hard look at the stadium on the outskirts of the town and ask if we deserve a club in Darlington.

Once again a crowd of less than 4,000 attended the game on Saturday. The supporters who turn up week in week out deserve better from the players performance wise; the only way that is going to happen is if the people of the town support the town's football club before it's too late and it closes down.

Believe me, the threat of County Durham losing its remaining league club is very real.

We have two groups of supporters, one the official supporters' club the other the supporters' trust, both made up of Darlington fans who care about the club.

Most of these people give up their free time to try to help the club, but is it enough that they do this?

Both groups need help in different ways. Both need members and active members with one goal, to help Darlington FC succeed. - David Dickson, Darlington.

MEMO to David Hodgson. I have had over 60 years watching Darlington FC, but you know what I would like you to do now?

Forget what you told me at a supporters' meeting last year, that you like to play the Liverpool way by trying to draw the opposition out with slow build-up of play.

I am sorry, but it does not work in this League or on that pitch. We only have a few games to play now so let's give it a bit of the old Winston Churchill spirit of no retreat. We go forward, like your midfield players taking people on.

I tell you what, David, how about bringing inside forward back (those were the days). Get your wingers and centre forward to take people on and run at their defence. No team likes players running at them. Tell the players to have a shot at goal from any distance. You never know what might happen.

I honestly believe it will bring those missing supporters back. If not, I am taking up knitting. Good luck lads. - Ted Harris, Darlington.

TAX BURDEN

A REPORT just published by a leading firm of chartered accountants points out that the tax burden for British businesses, both small and large, is now the highest in modern times.

Gordon Brown has raised taxes massively in recent years but there has not been enough effective public opposition either from the political parties or, amazingly, from the main business organisations.

So, for Brown, the increase in revenue has been relatively politically cost-free.

Unless Britain's businesses speak up clearly they will continue to be ignored in actuality by the present anti-business but pro-public sector Government.

The run-up to the budget - where Gordon Brown is likely outrageously to claim that he wants to make Britain more competitive - would be a good place for business organisations to raise serious objections.

Their message should be clear: higher taxes undermine business competitiveness and make Britain less able to compete in the 21st century global economy. - Peter Troy, Sedgefield.

SIR MENZIES

SIR Menzies (Ming) Campbell is the new Liberal Democrat leader, which is rather worrying if you happen to be English.

He is yet another MP with a Scottish constituency, with no mandate in England. Andrew Neil tackled Sir Ming in a very recent television interview on why MPs in Scotland should be allowed to vote on English only matters, and received this reply:

"Remember that there are people in Fife, for example, who have got relations in England, there are people who move to England, so this question that there are purely Scottish and purely English issues and you can somehow draw a dividing line is not necessarily always as clear cut as people would seek to point out."

This argument is patently stupid. There are people living in the North of England with relations in Scotland, and people move to Scotland from Durham, Northumberland and other English counties, but English MPs cannot vote on Scottish matters, even though they affect English folk living in Scotland.

The most important issue in British domestic politics, bar none, is how England is to be governed in the post-devolution era. Sir Menzies Campbell's attitude exposes exactly why England demands its own parliament with MPs representing English constituencies to focus solely on England's affairs. - Stephen Gash, English Democrats Party, Carlisle.

TONY BLAIR

THOSE of us who see heaven and hell as terrestrial must remind Tony Blair to concentrate on what the electorate think of him and not, in afterlife, on meeting God on the day of judgement, which is where faith alone comes into it.

Meanwhile, Mr Blair would be well advised to face facts and concentrate on the political faith of enough voters, many of them probably more interested in politics than religion, to win New Labour another term in office. - Alfred Lister, Guisborough.